


Take Me Home

by chanberries



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Boys In Love, Coffee, Coffee Shops, Coming Out, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gay Panic, Getting to Know Each Other, Internalized Homophobia, Light Angst, M/M, Multi, OT8, Photographer Kim Seungmin, Questioning, Sexuality Crisis, these boys dont know how to act
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:22:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 93,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22740946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chanberries/pseuds/chanberries
Summary: Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.
Relationships: Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin, Lee Felix/Seo Changbin
Comments: 301
Kudos: 317





	1. Welcome In

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! Welcome to the first chapter of Take Me Home, posted every Saturday. Enjoy!
> 
> _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_  
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_  
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_

Welcome to Cafe Yeoji, a warm, comfy, hometown American style cafe in the outskirts of Seoul, with other locations scattered across the region. Prices are relatively cheap with coffee, tea, smoothies, and small breakfast items for a typical commute to work. Customizable, cute, comfortable, and ultimately the best place for the average joe to come snag a morning coffee before work or school, or for a short date during lunch.

Hyunkook University was located just down the block from the Cafe Yeoji, where Seungmin worked as a work-study. It was convenient and the hours worked really well with his college schedule. He worked here before he went to the University and was grateful enough to be offered work-study to pay off the debt he had gotten himself into.

Seungmin worked most often from 6:30-11:30 before his sessions, but, occasionally, after that depending on time. However, it had been extra busy since the coffee shop on campus closed down to be renovated into a small indoor garden. The business needed to be relocated and was in the process of finding a place to rebuild, but until then, there was a loss of convenience to simply walk out of the eastern dorm into the fluorescent open sign that was usually there. There were the usual regulars, Daniel and Miyeon, the cute college couple who normally came at lunch or after classes to study; Chris, who came every morning for a cup of coffee before going to class in hopes of keeping himself awake; Haeun, who always came in to get tea or smoothies to go for her and her best friend; and Jamie who came in the least often but always gave great tips.

Since there's been more traffic, there's been more regulars that Seungmin was so happy to have gotten to know, like Taemin who only gets smoothies and often reads in the corner; Kim, who is always trying the new items on the menu, and then this boy.

It was 6:45 AM and the sun had barely started rising. Seungmin was the only one manning the shop at the time, and since rush doesn’t start until about 7:30 he used this time to prep. Instead, a boy walked in, wearing a hoodie with sharp eyes and black hair framing the face that could put Apollo to shame.

"Welcome in, what can I get for you this morning?" Seungmin asked, his black apron contrasting his pastel pink shirt.

"Large, caramel macchiato, 2 shots of espresso, and make it quick," The boy muttered out, his voice low and grumbly as if he had just woken up.

"Name?" Seungmin asked, grabbing the sharpie from the counter and grabbing the decorative cups they used for coffee.

"Hmm?" The boy asked, half paying attention to anything this conversation had to give.

"What's your name, sir?" There was silence for a bit, the two boys staring at each other in disbelief, both unresponsive with nerves until the black-haired finally replied.

"Oh you're being serious, I’m literally the only person here. Hyunjin."

"This will only take a minute, Hyunjin," Seungmin said with the brightest smile he could muster this cold man that had now leaned against the pickup counter. 

He quickly went to brew, feeling Hyunjin’s eyes as they followed him around the kitchen of the coffee shop, the smell of the first roast flooding the surrounding air. He quickly but prettily added whipped cream and caramel on top that showed his experience before handing it over to the boy with a bow, "Please come again."

"We’ll see." And with that, he left.

Seungmin stood and watched the man leave, the bell on the door ringing as he took a slow but careful sip of coffee. His figure went past the door frame, out of sight, and Seungmin could only feel pity for the boy who obviously had no joy in his life and found solace in a cup of sugary coffee. "What a grouchy man." He mumbled out loud to himself.

Yet without fail, he came in the next day.

"Good morning Hyunjin, what would you like today?" Seungmin asked greeting him again with a small bow.

"Large, Caramel macchiato, two shots of espresso," The other said, just as coldly the second time.

Seungmin nodded and began his brew, the black-haired boy leaving just as grumpy as he did the day before. Seungmin sighed as he watched out of the corner of his eye the door shut, the familiar ring of the bell echoing through the lonely coffee shop that Seungmin had become hyper-aware of. He bet that the boy had never smiled in his life, let alone felt happiness! 

Seungmin began the usual brews, pouring the coffee beans into the maker, thinking about how the black-haired boy came in two days in a row. He must have had a really early class, or maybe he just wanted to study for an extra hour. Well, maybe not. Hyunjin didn’t exactly look like the kind of person to enjoy studying, let alone wake up early to do so. 

Time had flown as Seungmin buried himself in his thoughts, and a familiar friendly face had burst into the coffee shop, with the same bright smile he always had.

“Hey, Jisung!” Seungmin called over the counter, his brown hair barely peeking over the machine.

“Goodmorning, Minnie! How’re the first few days of the semester treating ya?” The almost blonde-haired boy asked the younger, his red flannel dangling as he leaned into the counter.

“Well I’ve only had one other person here besides you today,” Seungmin stated truthfully as he came over to the boy, leaning on his hip to face the other. “Though I am surprised you’re here so early considering you sleep like a rock.”

“Hey, that’s not very nice Kim Seungmin.” Jisung complained, shaking his head, “It only took three alarms this morning instead of seven!”

“Yeah, well it only takes one for me, so you still lose,” Seungmin said with a small chuckle to look at the fellow freshman. It had only been a semester but they had gotten really close, thanks to sharing a dorm room. Though Seungmin did have to admit that at the beginning Jisung was really annoying, he never told him that. Jisung always thought Seungmin was just shy, which wasn’t entirely wrong, it was just Seungmin wanted some peace and quiet in the dorm and the blonde was far from that. 

“Can I get a smoothie?” Jisung asked pulling out his wallet to find his debit card and push it into the machine to pay. “A straw-berry-fine?”

“No, you can only look at it,” Seungmin teased, pushing the register screen to confirm the payment.  
“Do you want the receipt?”

Jisung simply shook his head as the machine printed out the short white paper, “It's not worth anything unless I can claim it on my taxes to pay for class.”

Seungmin laughed as he began fixing Jisung his beloved smoothie. While the machine did its smoothie thing, he glanced at the clock and sighed. Changbin still wasn’t here. Sure, he was only two minutes late, but the rush was going to start soon and Seungmin did not want to man the shop alone. The boy poured the smoothie into the cup and decorated the top with fresh fruit before handing it over to Jisung who had leaned against the counter with his eyes closed.

“A straw-berry-fine for Mr. Squirrel Jisung,” Seungmin said as he handed the cool cup over the counter. Jisung sighed and took the drink, taking a sip before thanking him with a thumbs up.

The familiar ding of the bell rang as Changbin walked into the coffee shop, his striking black hair matched the purple bags under his eyes. “Sorry I’m late Seungmin,” he said as he walked around the counter with his hand up apologetically. He looked like a mess, his hair shaggy and his eyes visibly drooped and bloodshot. His grey shirt and apron looked like they were hastily thrown on.

“Okay so you either are high, got mugged, or you had no sleep,” Seungmin said, giving the boy a water bottle from under the counter. “For your sake please tell me you at least had some rest?”

“I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” Changbin said, gulping down the water and shaking his head in hopes of being more awake.

“Knowing Seungmin, that can be arranged,” Jisung said as he walked to the door, waving goodbye. “See you after class Minnie!” 

The rush began shortly after Jisung left, before the 8 and 9 AM classes started. Chris came in as usual and looked worse than Changbin if that was even possible, and he stayed for a few minutes talking to Changbin about their plans later. That was before Seungmin finally nudged Changbin to get back to work for the line of people that had formed over the counter. Assume the positions! Seungmin was at the register taking orders while Changbin made them, the various smells wafting into the air that at this point could suffocate someone who wasn’t used to it.

Seungmin wiped some of his sweat with his shirt from running around behind the counter and touching all of the warm drinks. At least he hadn’t burned himself yet today, which was better than the usual three. Changbin had begun dishes as the rush slowed around 10 AM. Seungmin had an hour and a half until work was out and he couldn’t help but groan in despair. Morning rush always took everything out of him and days like this he regretted his schedule, wanting nothing more than a slow day to relax and destress. Work was therapy to him, despite it being annoying. He loved the smell of tea and coffee while he brewed them, and he loved the smiles of the people who came in, even if some of them were loud and obnoxious. 

If anything, the sunrise was the reason he kept working morning shifts. Sure, he was a “morning” person by definition, but what really made his day were the crystals that hung in the window that cast beautiful rainbows onto the walls in the morning. He always took a few minutes before opening to stare into each of the colors and daydream about what could have been. Red, a color of love, something Seungmin had through friends and family. They were never far away from him, only a short drive from campus, but he missed them dearly. He missed his mom’s homemade stews that smelled the house of delicious potato, floating in the seasoned broth that, although it was too hot to eat off the pan, tempted Seungmin into burning his tongue just to taste it. Orange, the sunset that he used to watch set at the beach with his old friend Jeongin. They sat on the rocks just west of the pier and watched the sunset after a day of playing in the sand. Jeongin was now a senior in high school, and Seungmin missed his best friend so much, even though he saw him pretty often. It was just so… lonely not seeing him every day. Yellow, the sun that shone through the large library windows he sat at as he studied and worked. Sure Seungmin didn’t enjoy studying, but the warmth brought him relief from his endeavors. Green, the color of his childhood backyard where the grass was only slightly too long, his bare feet trampling the grass as the chased a monarch butterfly. Blue, the color of his bike that he rode around the town square, the wind brushing his hair back only to fall perfectly back into place. Purple, the color of his old room, the light bringing color and beauty onto the walls that were covered in fairy lights and polaroids of his friends. Purple was the only thing he had left, trying his best to recreate the layout of his room on his side of the dorm, but it never would be the same. Instead, Seungmin could only think about these memories every morning and smile as he reached over and illumined the open sign.

Seungmin shook his head out of his thoughts and sighed, Changbin glancing over at the boy. There were soft steps as Changbin walked toward the taller boy, and Seungmin glanced back toward him.

“Hey, you okay, or just spacing out again?” Changbin asked, reaching past Seungmin to grab a clean rag to wipe down tables.

“Oh, I’m fine, no worries!” Seungmin said with a soft smile at Changbin, “Thank you for worrying about me.” 

Changbin nodded and Seungmin watched as the older walked away from him, past the counter to wipe down the empty tables and sweep the floor. Seungmin turned back toward the register to do the sales math. Seungmin sighed over the math he did for the second time that still didn’t quite add up, looking up at Changbin who had brought back a half-empty coffee mug from a deserted table. Changbin had the same look on his face that frankly terrified Seungmin the first day he came in. His features are sharp and strong, and he often looks like he’s contemplating murder. Realistically, Seungmin had learned over the semester that Changbin had insomnia and was more caring and soft than he let on. Seungmin, kind of always wished that they had become friends outside of work, but his friends just seemed so far from what Seungmin was comfortable with. Plus… they were all handsome. 

Seungmin shook his head again and blinked his eyes heavily, finally finishing the sales math and shoving the sticky note into the register for the night shifter, which was probably Jihyo. Seungmin glanced at the clock that said 11:28 AM and he reached behind his neck to untie his black apron. Changbin returned with the wet cloth and dustpan after cleaning the floor to take over the shop for Seungmin. The black apron was hung on the hook labeled Seungmin, before the boy picked up his backpack and swung it over his shoulder to head off to class.

Seungmin didn’t love his core classes for freshman year if he was being completely honest. The past semester consisted of pure core classes that he wasn’t very interested in, and this semester wasn’t much better. Monday, Wednesday he had Literature from 12 to 2 PM followed by Photography from 2:30 to 4:30 PM and Tuesday and Thursday he had Chemistry and Pre-calculus at the same time. Today was Wednesday which meant the second day of Literature and he had to start his first essay, which was due on Wednesday next week.

The brown-haired boy pulled the door of the classroom and found himself a seat next to a girl with straight, long, black hair. She seemed quiet and liked to study so he figured that she would be someone he wouldn’t despise. 

“May I sit here?” Seungmin asked in a hushed tone, his hand touching the back of the chair.

“O-Oh, yeah of course!” She said, quickly pulling her bag off the seat for the boy, “What’s your name?”

“Kim Seungmin, yours?” He said looking at the girl as he sat down and placed his bag on the floor.

“Oh Seojung,” she said, pushing some of her black locks behind her ear, “It’s nice to meet you Seungmin.”

The class started soon after, but Seungmin was glad to at least have made what was the start of a friend, but English was so boring without Jeongin or Jisung creating a ruckus to enjoy. Seungmin worked on his research for his paper and focused as much as he could on his essay before giving up thirty minutes into class to open up Photoshop and start editing photos.

“Seungmin, if you don’t mind me asking, what’s your major?” A soft voice asked, Seungmin a bit shocked that anyone was paying attention to him at all.

“I’m a photography major, what about you?” The boy asked, glancing over at Seojung

“Journalism, I just saw you were editing photos, so I had to ask,” she said with a small smile spreading over her face.

“Ahh there not that good-” Seungmin muttered softly, trying to avoid the conversation by pulling up his essay.

Luckily, Seojung didn’t say anything else other than a “See you later” as they walked separate ways to their next class. Seungmin loved photography and editing, but he was still self-conscious of his work. There were plenty of wonderful photographers out there, and he knew he didn’t actively stand out among them. He walked into Photography anyways, the first assignment being a group project so they could get to know some of the people in the class. He was paired with a girl named Han Hyerin, who looked younger than Jeongin if that could even be possible. The assignment was to have a photoshoot with one another as the model, and Seungmin hated the idea of it. He hid behind the camera for a reason, and he much preferred staying on his side, looking through the lens and not being looked on.

Seungmin opened the dorm room to see Jisung napping, his work spread across his bed and probably very uncomfortable. He threw his backpack down on his perfectly made bed, only to immediately turn to the mess that was Jisung’s to clean it off. He placed all of the papers neatly together and stacked everything on the desk littered with Jisungs superhero action figures, before tucking the boy under his navy blue sheets.

The bag of new homework beckoned the boy to be done, and as much as Seungmin wanted nothing more than to nap like Jisung, there was nothing that could be done besides his pre-calc and chem homework for tomorrow. He sighed and opened his mint backpack pulling out his notes and his computer before digging further for the charger, only for it to be missing. Seungmin let out a small groan of defeat before shoving everything back into his bag and leaving the dorm with it slung over his shoulder.

The coffee shop smelled of cold brew upon walking into it, the familiar bell eliciting the same “Welcome in,” from Jihyo who was at the counter, not paying enough attention to see who it was. She turned, pushing some hair behind her ear, about to ask what he wanted to order before seeing who it was.

“Seungmin, whatcha need?” She asked, placing her hands on the counter and leaning onto it.

Seungmin’s hand reached to his neck as he glanced away from the girl, “I accidentally left my computer charger back there, so I came back and figured I’d stay and study.” Jihyo’s familiar laugh rang through the somewhat busy coffee shop as she turned to grab it from the back counter.

“I figured it was either yours or Changbin’s and it wouldn’t be long until one of you came to get it,” She said, handing the grey cord over the counter, “Anything to drink? It’s half off for employee’s you know.”

“Surprise me,” Seungmin said with a smile as he swiped his card, her nails gently tapping on the register and giving him the receipt that simply said “Mystery Brew”. Seungmin shoved the receipt into his front pocket and placed himself down on one of the love seats, his bag placed ever so carefully on the side. He pulled out his computer and plugged it in, the light on the side shining an orange light and the logo being revived from its previous death. As he became situated Jihyo came up and presented him with a coffee cup with question marks on the side. His tongue touched the brew and immediately recognized it as Jihyo’s signature; a vanilla latte, with a shot of hazelnut, caramel, and a stick of peppermint. 

Seungmin quickly got lost in his work, his hair becoming the perfect amount of shade from the sunset that had come in through the windows to illuminate the cafe in an orange and red hue. He didn’t have his camera, but he thought it was fitting enough to pull out his cell to snap a few photos of the hue. He took some photos before placing the phone down on the side table and returning to the devil that was calculus.

Buzz, buzz, buzz, Seungmin’s phone vibrated against the coffee table, surprisingly loud, nearly shocking the coffee cup out of his hand. He quickly placed the cup down, exchanging it with his phone to see who was calling him.

“What’s up Jisung?” he boy asked, pushing his hair out of his face only for it to fall back into place.

“Where are you? I woke up and my bed was clean so you obviously stopped by..,” Jisung started, quickly going from tired to his usual, excitable self, “Are you on a date?!”

“Who would I even be on a date with, Jisung? I’m at the coffee shop doing homework.” Seungmin replied, becoming slightly frustrated at the thought of going on a date with someone.

“That’s so boring,” Jisung whined, followed by the sound of him presumably getting out of bed, “Do you mind if I come? I’ll probably get more done there than I was able to do here.”

Seungmin couldn’t help but laugh out loud, thinking back to the disaster Jisung was when he opened the room to the door, “It’s probably for the best you came.”

They quickly said their goodbyes over the phone, knowing a greeting would soon follow, while Seungmin resumed sipping the latte that was so graciously prepared for him. It was warm, and he realized that it had been a long while since he had drunk a warm cup of coffee or hot chocolate. He preferred herbal teas, but coffee really did perk him up, which he credited to the caffeine. He licked the foam off of his top lip as Jisung walked into the shop, through the back door. He stumbled his way over, still visibly drowsy and plopped his stuff onto the coffee table that separates the two boys. Jisung’s things quickly littered his side of the table, his textbook being pulled out along with a notebook to take notes with and several highlighters and pens. Although Jisung looked like a slacker, he tended to put in quite a bit of effort into actually learning and memorizing the things he needed to know, and Seungmin was always impressed by his perseverance.

It wasn’t too long after the blonde-haired boy arrived that the shop started to die down, and before long was just them. It was now 7:43 and Seungmin could not focus his energy on his Research paper for Literature any longer. Besides the fact he was distracted, his eyes wandered the shop to look at the art on the walls which provided him some inspiration for his photoshoot with Hyeri. He quickly pulled out his phone and pulled up his contacts, scrolling through his old friend’s phone numbers to find the newest number.

“Hey... I have a concept for our photoshoot, how do you feel about being painted?” Seungmin muttered to himself as his fingers pressed onto his phone screen.

“Photoshoot? With who?” Jisung asked, his eyes never leaving the textbook page.

“Han Hyeri. In photography today we got paired up and we have to do photoshoots together.” Seungmin said, quickly hopping online to search for reference images and ideas for his concept.

“Don’t know her, you don’t have a crush on her do ya?” Jisung asked, looking up at the boy to see spots of color reflecting off his eyes from the computer screen.

“I don’t even know her, Jisung,” Seungmin replied, quite blandly, and more than just distracted by his work.

“I just want you to go on a date already!” Jisung said with a tone of impatience. He leaned back into the couch he was sitting in to look at Seungmin, “I just want you to smile more often and open up, and live a little! You spend too much time at the dorm.”

“Mind your own business Jisung,” Seungmin said, maybe too coldly. He didn’t mean it like that, by all means, he never wanted to hurt Jisungs feelings, but he really did not want to talk about relationships. Seungmin looked at Jisung once he saw movement. He froze as Jisung quickly packed his things and left without saying another word. “Was he that upset?” Seungmin thought to himself as the ding chimed through the shop, signaling Jisung had left.

“What did you do?” Jihyo called over the counter, them being the only people left in the shop.

“Nothing,” Seungmin quickly replied, looking back down at his computer. If he didn’t think about it, maybe he could pretend it didn’t happen. Soft footsteps neared the boy as Jihyo sat down next to him on the couch.

“Talk to me,” She said, her legs crossing as she faced the boy, who she knew did not want to have this conversation. Seungmin sighed and slowly closed his computer, placing it on the table and pulling his feet up on the couch to face the girl. 

“Jisung just wants me to get out there and make new friends, but whenever I do he then wants more than that for me. I’m just not interested in dating for a lot of different reasons.” Seungmin started, closing his eyes and pushing his hair back in stress as he confessed to Jihyo, who as much as she cared had never actually gotten to know Seungmin. “It bothers me to talk about it, and it bothers me when he just assumes every person I talk to I have an interest in or they have interest in me.”

“Have you told him that?” Jihyo asked, leaning her arm on the couch as a headrest.

“No, because I don’t want to hurt his feelings, but in the process, I’m hurting mine.”

“Listen, Seungmin.” Jihyo started as she saw his mood deepen, “I know it sucks to be confrontative, but in the long run, it’ll be better for your friendship. Plus, Jisung will forgive you, and you know that.” Seungmin nodded as he thought about how we would even start this conversation. “However, it's time to close so I have to kick you out.”

They both began laughing, as Seungmin looked at the time, 9:03 PM. Had he really been here that long, or was it his anxiety that made it speed past? He gathered all his things, not forgetting his charger this time, and promptly left so Jihyo could close, waving farewell at each other through the glass. Seungmin didn’t want to go to the dorms knowing that Jisung would be there, but where else would he go besides the corner store. 

The stars shone through the navy blue sky, with minimal clouds shading them from Seungmin’s view. He walked as slowly as he could, the wind blowing cooly in his face, making his cheeks bright pink. It had lightly started to snow, and Seungmin picked up his pace to avoid being too soaked in flakes. He walked into the dorm building and shook his hair and jacket clean, stomping his shoes into the mat before walking down the hallway and up to the second floor. Seungmin looked at the door from down the hallway and saw a familiar blue sticky note on it, making him curious about what Jisung would have written him. He quickly jogged down the hallway and stopped in front of the door, pulling out the keys from his jeans and pushing them into the door as he read the note.

“Hey, sleeping over at Felix’s tonight, see ya tomorrow :)”

Seungmin sighed and pulled the note off the door before pushing his way through the frame. He took off his jacket and promptly hung it on the coat rack, taking off his slightly wet converse and placing them by the door. His socked feet walked to the side of his bed as he turned his purple lights on, illuminating the room in a gorgeous but almost lonely hue. Seungmin sat down on the bed and looked at Jisung’s, staring at the emptiness, regret filling his stomach in an ache. He was sorry, but he didn’t know how to express that. He knew Jisung wouldn’t be mad for long, in fact, he had probably gotten over it already, but Seungmin just couldn’t.

The brown-haired boy, lied down soon after he got home, neglecting the page of homework he had left and opting to finish it between classes tomorrow so he could ponder how he could fix this. The situation didn’t really need fixing, but… how could he ignore it? Would it be better to forget it ever happened, because he was sure Jisung could, but then could it affect their relationship? Hours passed before Seungmin could finally fall asleep, and he regretted it, but life continues with or without him.

The alarm went off despicably early and Seungmin couldn’t help but roll in his bed in protest. It took him several minutes of groaning about getting up, mixed with the idea of work and feeling awake, that he finally turned off the alarm and threw his feet over the side of the bed. He took his time getting ready, still being on time, but slowly making breakfast and taking a few extra minutes in the shower. He dried his hair and threw on a pair of jeans and a striped yellow and white shirt in hopes of brightening his mood. 

He grabbed his back and briskly walked to the coffee shop, being a few minutes late but nobody came exactly at 6:30, and it really wouldn’t have affected sales. 

Except there was someone there at 6:30, the tall dark-haired boy stood outside the door, his back against the glass scrolling on his phone. Seungmin came to a halt, frozen in fear now that he was late opening.

“I’m sorry if you’ve been waiting long!” Seungmin bowed, the taller male moving out of the way for him to unlock the door, “I was running a bit late this morning. Your order is on us today. The usual?”

“Yes, for here.” Hyunjin asked, shoving his phone into his pocket and following the shorter inside, picking a table to sit. He pulled out his laptop and started it up, pulling off his jacket to reveal the same striped shirt Seungmin was wearing, but in black.

What a coincidence, Seungmin thought to himself as he started up the lights, turned the heater on, and began the first brew. He pulled out a mug and poured the coffee into it, creating a pretty heart design with the cream before bringing it over to Hyunjin.

Seungmin’s work was pretty, if pretty could even describe the skills he had for latte art, but Hyunjin did not care. He took a sip and quickly ruined the design past repair and Seungmin couldn’t help but feel wounded. He shouldn’t have given the boy a free coffee if he wasn’t going to even appreciate the roast! How rude, how childish, how impatient, how… awful! 

That’s it, that’s all Hyunjin was. An awful pretty boy that Seungmin had to make coffee for every morning, with no thank you or form of appreciation! Sure it was only day 3, but if he had to do this for the rest of Hyunjin’s college career he might as well just quit now!

“Are you going to go back to work, or keep on staring at me?” Hyunjin asked harshly, snapping Seungmin out of his thoughts.

“Are you going to keep being so cold to someone who has undoubtedly been nothing but nice to you?” Seungmin asked, crossing his arms.

“I don’t know,” Hyunjin’s dark piercing eyes met with Seungmin’s, “You don’t sound very nice right now.”

Seungmin scoffed, rolling his eyes and going back to start the other roasts. The smell of coffee filled the air and Seungmin poured himself a cup of Americano, writing his name hastily on the side and taking a deep sip to shake his sleepiness off his shoulders. It wasn’t too long before the regulars came in, Chris being the first.

His roast was done by the time he walked in, and he gave Seungmin a two dollar tip, which at college was like the lottery. As he ran Chris’s order up he glanced over to Hyunjin’s now almost empty mug, and then at the time. It seemed like he didn’t have early morning classes, and there’s still about a half-hour until the next ones would start. Seungmin handed over Chris’s roast and took the time to prepare another caramel macchiato for Hyunjin, decorating it again with a cream heart. Seungmin walked around the counter and swapped the mugs, Hyunjin giving no reaction.

A sigh left the boy’s lips as he placed the empty mug into the sink, Changbin walking in. He leaned over to Seungmin, preparing himself a coffee while whispering, “Who’s the new kid?”

“His name is Hyunjin and he’s come in every morning. Usually, he just takes it to go, avoiding conversation but he’s been here for a little under an hour.” 

“How long do you think he’ll stay?” Changbin asked, taking a sip of his coffee, before burning his tongue.

Seungmin couldn’t help but laugh at the shorter boy, who has resorted to grabbing some ice and shoving it into his mouth.

He didn’t know how long Hyunjin would stay, but he really couldn’t focus much more on him when the rush began. The orders were more than usual and assuming it was from more people learning about the closure, Seungmin went about his business. When the rush finally slowed down enough Changbin stayed in the bar and Seungmin went to clean the tables. He started in the far corner, wiping down the coffee-stained edges and going about to each one, scrubbing any residue clean. 

Then, he arrived at Hyunjin’s table, the closest to the register. Hyunjin was nowhere to be found, his things were gone and the table was practically spotless. The white mug had small coffee rings scattered down the inside of the mug from drinking slowly. Seungmin quickly wiped down the table, even though it wouldn’t have cleaned anything per se. He picked up the mug to find a twenty-dollar bill below it with writing in pencil.

“-Thanks”

Seungmin picked it up and pocketed it, knowing it was a tip. He pushed his hip into the door to the back and placed the mug into the sink, Changbin having started dishes.

That was all he could think about for the rest of his shift. Did he make Hyunjin feel bad? Twenty was almost double what the two macchiatos cost, and he was offered one for free. Was Hyunjin as horrible as Seungmin made him out to be, or was it pity? Pity the fool who worked at the coffee shop, the one who was late that morning, the one who was too happy for his own good.

Seungmin didn’t want these twenty dollars that Hyunjin had left for him in pityness.

Seungmin hated Hyunjin, and that was that.


	2. Cinderella

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.
> 
> Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_   
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_   
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_

Seungmin had found a new hatred for work and for seeing Hyunjin. He learned to despise the boy who had dared to tip him twenty dollars after being nothing but rude to him. Seungmin had finished his shift and trudged back into the dorms, that day having no classes, bless the stars. He plopped himself into his bed with his phone, reading as he always did or looking at art inspirations.

Seungmin felt awful, to say the least. He had upset his best friend last night and was waiting for him to come home so they could talk, he found himself an arch-nemesis in the span of a week, and he still had this huge project he had to finish by next Friday. Speaking of, did Hyeri ever text him back?

He quickly closed the tab he was on and opened up his text messages,

“Sorry I just saw this. I have no issues with being painted! Are you doing the painting? When do you want to do it?” which was sent at 7:32, while Seungmin was at work.

“Sorry too, I was at work. Yeah, I’ll do the painting, I wanted to do a simple paint splatter effect thing. When works for you? I don’t have classes tomorrow and I’m free on the weekend.” He quickly typed back, rereading and sending it, only then realizing how awkward it sounded.

“I’m free all day Saturday so whenever the lighting is best for your vision haha”

“Does 6:30 work? We can meet at the coffee shop?”

“Sounds good to me, text me with anything else I might need to know before then :)”

Seungmin left the text on read, knowing that if he replied again it would be an awkward yes or okay. He quickly texted Jisung, even though he didn’t want to stir anything up again.

“Hey, are you going to be stopping by the dorm after classes?” It was several minutes until Seungmin’s phone dinged at the notification

“Yeah, I’m too starving to go out with friends ;;”

Seungmin smiled, seeing that Jisung seemed back to normal and that he would probably forgive him. He probably had already but Seungmin couldn’t hold on to that feeling and he did need to talk to Jisung about it.

“I'll make something, whatcha want?”  
“Grilled Cheese? Wait, do we even have bread?”  
“Uhh only the ends, stop by the corner store on your way back plz or no grilled cheese”  
“The life of a broke college student -_-;;”

Well, by the looks of it Jisung had forgotten about the issue, still making jokes as he always has. Seungmin still sighed and lied back on his bed, staring at the ceiling to try to form the words he would tell him.

How do you tell your best friend that he needs to back off kindly? He never had this issue with Jeongin, maybe because he never showed interest in the kinds of people that went to their high school.

“Jisung,” Seungmin began mumbling to himself, “I know that you want me to get out there but stop- no, that sounds dumb. He would ask too many questions about it. Jisung, I don’t want to date anyone so stop setting me up with- no, he would take that the wrong way. God, I should just say it instead of worrying so much!”

Seungmin lay there for far too long thinking about Jisung. Really, he adored him as a person. As much as Seungmin was a relatively cheerful person, Jisung just was something more than that. He was always with a smile and if he wasn’t you could still see that peacefulness Seungmin wished he had. Jisung didn’t work 6:30 AM shifts or worry about what other people thought about him or even cry himself to sleep over embarrassing moments he got himself into.

The door lock jingled and Seungmin knew Jisung was back. He sat up in his bed, tossing his legs over the side to face the door as it opened.

“So I bought some bread, but I might have splurged and got two cokes as well,” Jisung smiled up at the boy, placing the plastic bag of goods on the kitchenette counter. 

“Thanks,” Seungmin said awkwardly, plopping his feet on the ground and coming over to start the stovetop for grilled cheese. 

“Why are you so weird today?” Jisung asked, pulling his desk chair over Seungmin to sit in. The familiar fizz of a freshly opened soda can filled Seungmins ears, along with the sound of a buttered piece of bread hitting the frying pan. Was it that obvious? Surely, Jisung couldn’t have read Seungmin that easily, could he?

“How could you tell?” Seungmin’s eyes flickered toward the other, just for a moment before putting the piece of cheese on the bread to melt into heaven. 

“Seungmin, I know you better than you think I do,” Jisung’s familiar laughter filled the room, followed by a sip of his soda. Seungmin flipped the first sandwich and shook his head. “Look I just can tell when something is on your mind, and it must be bothering you. You look like you just murdered a man. Did you murder a man?!”

“No of course not I just-” Seungmin let out a sigh of defeat as he pulled Jisungs sandwich off the burner to start his own. “It’s just been bothering me that you keep assuming I like so many people that I’m not interested in.”

“Seungmin, I do it because I see the behind the scenes of your life. You’re like Cinderella before she gets invited to the ball, except you are your own evil step-mother. I always hope that if you make friends or get yourself a date maybe you would do something other than sleep, eat, work, and school.”

“I do other things too- I just don’t think I need to be contemplating settling down as a freshman in college. Plus dating itself is its own subject, I’m notoriously bad at it.” 

“Cinderella hadn’t dated any guy before she met Prince Charming, but she got married to him anyway!”

“Cinderella had no character development and was a lame princess!”

“You’re lame too!” Jisung cried, pointing his coke can toward Seungmin. Seungmin rolled his eyes and tried to keep back a small smile. “I’ll stop bothering you about it if that’s what you want.”

“I would appreciate that very much,” Seungmin pulled his sandwich from the burner and turned it off, leaving the dishes in the sink. Jisung handed him the still somewhat cold coke can which fizzed and spurt a little bit as he opened it. 

“Thank you again for buying me the coke,”

“It's what besties do,” Jisung nodded, clinking his can against the other. “Tell me about your day,” he half asked, climbing into Seungmins bed with his food and drink, the taller boy following him sitting criss-cross on his half-made sheets.

“Oh my gosh, Hyunjin!” Seungmin groaned loudly, dropping his jaw in annoyance. 

“Hyun-who?”

“Hyunjin, he’s a new regular. Large caramel macchiato, two shots of espresso. He’s been the biggest pain in my ass.” The look on Jisung’s face just read confusion and intrigue, so Seungmin continued after another bite of his sandwich. 

“The first day he came in he gave me so much sass just for asking his name and do you want to know what he said when I told him to come again? We’ll see. He said we’ll see! The next morning he didn’t say one word to me outside of his order, and then today we had a bit of a fight. I got there this morning and he was waiting for the shop to open and of course, I was late- so I gave him his first cup free, cream design and all and he didn’t even look at it! Of course, I got lost in thought about how disrespectful he was and then he told me to stop staring at him and get back to work! So I told him he ought to be nice to me because I’ve been nothing but nice to him and he told me I wasn’t nice at all!” Seungmin dug into his pocket to pull out the familiar bill, “Then he pity tipped me a twenty and I just about lost my shit.”

“He sounds like a real ass, reckon he’ll come in tomorrow morning?” 

“Without a doubt. I’m thinking about switching my shift but I doubt anyone else wants to do early mornings.” Seungmin shook his cola can, frowning a bit at the emptiness of the sugar high he was hoping for before finishing his sandwich.

“You should probably, at least, thank him for the twenty,” the look on Seungmins face causing Jisung to burst into laughter, “I wish I was kidding, but that is the Cinderella thing to do.”

Seungmin rolled his eyes as Jisung climbed out of his bed, taking the empty cans and plates to the trash bin and returning to his own side of the room. Seungmin sighed and reluctantly finished his literature assignment for doing what he always did at home: browse the internet.

It was early when Seungmin felt like falling asleep but really, the more he thought about what Jisung said the more he realized he was right. He really was both Cinderella and his own evil step-mother. Seungmin was seemingly too busy to do the things he loved or anything other than work or school and yet he had just spent two hours on the internet doing absolutely nothing. Two hours that could’ve been spent on editing, or doing a shoot, or even spending time with friends. Who was he kidding, what friends? He had Jisung, Jeongin, and everyone else he just spent enough time with to say they were friends. 

The alarm rang early the next morning and Seungmin groaned as he smacked his alarm clock. He nearly fell back asleep to if it wasn’t for Jisung who had thrown a pillow with remarkable aim at his face.

“Why are you even awake right now?!” Seungmin whined.

“I’m not but you need to go to work,” Jisung grumbled just loud enough for Seungmin to hear. He threw the pillow back, not even causing a stir out of Jisung before he got up and ready.

Seungmin threw on his favorite pair of jeans and a white tee, a relatively plain outfit for him but only because he wanted to wear his navy blue trench coat. After eating breakfast and getting his things ready he went down to the coffee shop. He got there way earlier than he intended, so he left the door locked and the luminescent open sign turned off as he began his morning routine.

After about fifteen minutes there was a soft knock at the door. Seungmin jumped lightly and sighed before putting the cup he was cleaning down on the counter to look at the door over his shoulder. His brows furrowed as he squinted to see the boy in such terrible lighting, but he quickly recognized the figure as Hyunjin.

He glanced at the clock to see it was 6:29, close enough to opening that he left the counter to open the door for the man.

“You scared me half to death,” Seungmin complained as he returned to the back, Hyunjin following to the counter. “The usual, a large caramel macchiato with two shots of espresso. Will that be for here or to go?”

“To go,” Hyunjin mumbled, staring blankly at Seungmin. Seungmin looked up at him, the silence suffocating him. Hyunjin was wearing black sweats and a black hoodie, a white hat on his head with his hair pushed back instead of down. Seungmin didn’t have time to contemplate his looks much longer than that though.

“That’s 3.75, how are you paying?” Seungmin asked, far too sassily for Hyunjin’s own liking.

“That twenty I gave you yesterday.”

“The tip?”

“Tip my ass, I gave you a twenty so I wouldn’t have to have this conversation every morning,” Hyunjins eyes rolled and his stance changed completely. 

Seungmin couldn’t believe what was happening. Hyunjin thought his twenty-dollar bill was going to prepay as if Seungmin was some sort of charity case. Hyunjin’s eyes were piercing, his stare intimidating to the boy despite him being in the right. He made his cup reluctantly, handing it over with an annoyed smirk on his face.

“Here's your coffee and your twenty,” Seungmin said, pulling out his wallet and putting the bill straight into Hyunjins prepared brew. “Suck my ass, I hope you don’t fucking come back.”

Hyunjin’s face didn’t change, he gave no response other than to put a lid on his coffee and leave like he always did. Seungmin did hope that he didn’t come back, but how likely was that to actually happen?

If you answered not at all, you’d be surprisingly wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope the second chapter met your expectations after the first one (even though it's shorter), please look forward to the third chapter next Saturday~


	3. Circumstance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.
> 
> Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_   
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_   
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_

Friday, Seungmin worked just as usual starting at 6:30, which was just unfortunate with having no classes on Fridays. He worked an extra 3 hours, making his shift 8 hours long and entirely exhausting. Clocking out at 2:30 when the shop was most dead, Seungmin scurried back to the dorm to sketch his vision for tomorrow.

He climbed into bed with his sketch pad and colored pencils, turned his fairy lights on to the usual purple hue, and played some of his favorite music. His vision was simple, yet effective - Hyeri, painted in all the colors of the rainbow, rather abstractly. It was youthful and happy, careless and creative, and Seungmin thought it was going to be an amazing shoot.

He pulled out his phone and quickly texted Hyeri, “Hey I know that it's super early but would you still be able to meet me at Cafe Yeoji at 6:30 am tomorrow?”

“That’s so early on my day off... ugh, but yeah I'll be there!”

And she was there - in fact before Seungmin.

Seungmin practically ran to the cafe Saturday morning, his hair still soaking from the shower he had just taken, if you could call it that. It was cold that morning, Seungmin’s breath visible in the darkness under the street lamps on the way to the cafe, and yet he didn’t bring a coat. In fact, as soon as he was dressed he pulled his shoes on, grabbed his camera and paints, he bolted.

Seungmin actually didn’t work today, Jihyo was already behind the counter starting the brews for the morning, looking just as beautiful as she always did. Seungmin knocked on the door, knowing that, although Jihyo's shift started at 6:30, the shop didn’t open today until 7:30, an hour later.

The woman looked up, a bit of surprise on her face only to be replaced with a sigh of relief. She pulled off her black apron and walked her way to the door, opening it to allow Hyeri and Seungmin in, the familiar ringing of bells in Seungmin’s ears.

“And why are you here so early?” Jihyo asked, walking back to the counter and hoisting herself onto it to sit and observe the children.

“We have to do photoshoots for one of our classes and I have a vision,” Seungmin said quickly, pulling out his paints and rolling up his striped yellow sleeves.

“I can agree the cafe is at its prettiest in the mornings,” Jihyo stared out into the darkness of the streets, the lamps emanating a peaceful glow. If it wasn’t for morning classes Jihyo would work mornings more often, for similar reasons Seungmin did.  
“I’m just going to start if that’s okay?” Seungmin asked Hyeri, taking out a rather large paintbrush and picking up baby blue paint.

“Yeah go for it.” The girl closed her eyes and let Seungmin do his work.

It was only a few minutes and several pastel colors later that Hyeri spoke again, “Why did you decide on this? You know, the painting and everything?”

Seungmin sighed and let his hand rest on his thigh, Hyeri’s eyes finally opening to meet his.

“I suppose these colors are me. Each one represents a different part of my life, but in the end, they all make up one beautiful thing. If you spend too much time looking at one part you can’t understand the whole picture, and if I’m being honest, I think I do that too much these days.”

“That’s kind of deep, Seungmin,” Hyeri giggled, her cheeks puffed up and her eyes squinted and Seungmin for a split second saw Jisung in her. He smiled softly, content feeling in his heart about having a wonderful roommate and best friend. Maybe he should do something for Jisung later today, but until then he should focus on the shoot.

Hyeri was covered in colors, Seungmin fanning her face with his hands and blowing on the wet paint gently, in hopes of it drying more quickly.

“Can I say, this kind of feels like someone doing makeup on me?” Hyeri said, her eyes pointed upwards at the oak wood ceiling.

“If I was doing your makeup you definitely would not look as beautiful as you normally do,” Seungmin laughed, reaching over for his camera. 

Seungmin beckoned the far shorter girl to the door of the cafe, positioning her gently to get her in the light and began taking photos. They only had about a half-hour before the sun was too far raised to get good photos, but Seungmin took at least 50 pictures of Hyeri in different positions. She really was a beautiful girl, Seungmin couldn’t deny that.

The boy pushed his way to the back of the counter and grabbed a clean washcloth, dampening it in the sink. He wrang it out, the droplets falling into a pair of coffee mugs Jihyo had already used. He moseyed his way back to Hyeri, her hands wrapped carefully around the camera that didn’t belong to her to look at the photos.

“They turned out well, didn’t they?” Hyeri asked, not paying full attention to the boy until his hand touched her chin and guided her head upward for him to see. The wet cloth was pressed against her skin, slightly too rough for Seungmin’s liking to get the paint off her cheek.

“Sorry, the paint is a bit hard to get off, it’s the downfall of using acrylic paints that aren’t meant for skin.”

Hyeri’s brown eyes looked at Seungmin, knowing that she had only just met this boy, and yet, he was intriguing. He wore soft pastel clothing, was overall a gentleman, and handsome all at the same time. Was she an idiot for having a crush on a boy she had only recently met? Maybe. She let him finish removing the paint and thanked him with a cheeky smile that was easily returned.

Seungmin returned the cloth to the sink and joined Hyeri at the coffee table as 7:30 rolled around and the cafe finally opened, one or two customers coming in to order their brew.

“Have you thought about what kind of photoshoot you want to do with me?”

Hyeri met eyes with the boy, forgetting everything she had just thought.

“Hmm, I want to do a darker theme, something like the grim reaper coming to take a soul? That’s not exactly it,” she giggled, “but something similar to that!”

“So we would need another model too then? Do you have anyone you want me to do it with?”

“No, you can bring whoever you want to the shoot, but I won’t be able to do it until next weekend if that’s okay?” Hyeri’s phone buzzed and she sighed, “I have to go, my roommate needs me, but text me if you find someone! If not, I’ll bring a friend.”

Seungmin nodded lightly and watched the girl scurry out, making a phone call to what he assumed was ‘the roommate’. He packed up his things and went back to his room, the blinds still closed and dark as if it was 2 am all over again, of course with Jisung softly snoring in his own bed.

He climbed into the comfort of his bed, allowing his sheets to envelop him for just a few more hours. It was his day off, after all, he deserved it.

When he woke up, Jisung was finally awake, a bowl of cereal in his lap along with his laptop watching youtube. His hair was obviously unbrushed and messy, unshowered and still wearing his pajamas.

The blonde-haired boy looked over as his teeth crunched the sugary breakfast, “Oh hey, you’re finally up! I couldn’t believe I was awake before you.”

“You weren’t. I just took a nap after I did that shoot with Hyeri.” Seungmin groaned, running his hands through his now dry hair and squinting his eyes to get adjusted to being awake.

“How was it? Any flirting?”

“Ji, you know what I said about butting into my love life,” Seungmin grumbled, pulling himself from his bed to actually grab breakfast, choosing the same cereal as Jisung.

“I didn’t mean it like that, even though it for sure came out like that. Just asking how it was.”

“I was fine, I got some really good pics but we’re still really awkward with each other. She was a great person for the shoot though because she looks so adorable. Oh, speaking of,” Seungmin mumbled through a fresh bite of cereal in his mouth, “For her shoot she wants me to bring a friend to model too, and since you’re basically the only person I hang out with would you come?”

“Yeah sure, on one condition.”

Seungmin sighed and glared at the boy, “What on earth do you want?”

“The next time I go out for a party you have to come with me, get yourself out there you know?”

“I hate you but fine.”

The rest of the weekend was boring for Seungmin. He never had the opportunity to do anything nice for Jisung because if he was being honest, he barely saw him. Jisung spent most of his weekend with Felix, and although Seungmin knew Chris, he wasn’t comfortable joining them. Instead, he spent hours editing the photos of Hyeri to increase the saturation, fix any of the cracked paint from drying, and just generally making the photos quite literally ‘picture perfect’.

By Monday, Seungmin was back into his routine of working. When he went into the cafe that morning he prayed that Hyunjin wouldn’t show up. He didn’t, and Seungmin ignored the thought for the rest of his shift deciding that he had scared the boy into never coming back. At least when Seungmin was working, that is.

Monday was boring but at least when Photography rolled around he could show Hyeri the edited photos he had spent the weekend on. When he sat down, he pulled out his laptop to pull up the photos, his fingers unconsciously pressing the arrows on his lit-up keyboard to scroll through the shoot. 

Hyeri quickly sat down next to the boy, “Are these the finished photos?!”

“Indeed they are, feel free to scroll through them! You did an amazing job modeling, Hyeri,” Seungmin’s mouth curled upwards and gave her a soft smile.

Seungmin didn’t notice it, oblivious as he is, but Hyeri’s cheeks did turn pink for just a moment before she browsed the photos. She took it upon herself to share the folder to her email before handing the computer back to Seungmin, “You really are an amazing photographer, Seungmin. I love the way these turned out and it's all thanks to you!”

“Oh, don’t praise me too much, I was just merely capturing a beautiful muse.”

Hyeri opened her mouth to speak, protest that she wasn’t as beautiful as Seungmin may think, but their professor cut her off. She lowered her head and pursed her lips, pulling out her own laptop to look at the sketches she had done for her shoot. 

Seungmin, as polite as he normally was, couldn’t help but peek over at the concept art in astonishment. Hyeri was amazing at drawing, but what really caught his eye was how well-drawn Seungmin himself was. Seungmin was floating above a man in dark clothes, holding hands as if he were guiding him. Seungmin wore all white clothes with silver jewelry and white elk horns. The horns were adorned with flowers, some short pieces of silk, and diamonds of some sort. 

“The concept art you have looks really interesting,” Seungmin leaned over and whispered.

Hyeri practically jumped out of her seat in fright before sighing and calming herself down from the scare. “Thank you, but I’m worried it's a bit too ambitious. Do you think that the concept will photograph as well as I have visioned?”

“I’m sure it will, you-” Seungmin’s whisper was promptly cut off by a more booming voice.

“Kim Seungmin, Han Hyeri! Please stop being so disruptive to this classroom or I will be forced to ask you to leave.”

The two nodded and exchanged glances for a second before trying to hold back laughter. Seungmin figured they really would become close friends by the end of the semester.

When Seungmin got home he did his usual routine, hoping Jisung would come home at some point, but when the clock struck midnight and he still hadn’t returned home the boy knew it wasn’t worth losing the sleep. Plus, he had work tomorrow.

After his usual shift, Seungmin went to classes like normal and spent his afternoon doing his math and chemistry homework so he wouldn’t have to do it tomorrow. Efficiency at its finest.

When Jisung finally burst through the door after his classes Seungmin took a short break from his homework to finally spend some time with the boy.

“Guess what, Minnie! I got invited to a party so you know what that means!”

Seungmin sighed heavily, maybe homework really was more appealing than this conversation.

“You haven’t done the photoshoot yet, so is that really valid?”

“You haven’t come to a party with me, so is it valid for me to do the shoot?”

Seungmin rolled his eyes and fell backward onto his bed, hitting his head on his laptop, a hiss leaving his lips in pain. He stared at the ceiling and thought hard about whether or not he should go. He did promise Jisung he would, after all, but it sounded absolutely disgusting.

“Fine, I made a promise to you so I guess I have to.”

“Whoo! We leave at nine so be ready by then!”

Seungmin nodded and looked over at his pile of notebooks and laptop, needing to finish his homework before they left. This was a horrible idea, and Seungmin knew it. Going to a party that starts at nine, knowing Jisung would want to stay until two or three in the morning. Seungmin had work in the morning, and it wasn’t like he could just call off or anything, nobody else would take the shift or be awake for that.

Seungmin had only worked on homework until seven when he was scrolling through his syllabi to find something he needed for an assignment. He scrolled through his Literature syllabus just to make sure he didn’t have anything due for tomorrow, and he saw pretty much his worst nightmare.

“Jisung!” He called, the older boy walking out from the bathroom with a toothbrush in his mouth, toothpaste obviously overflowing. “I can’t go with you to the party. I have a whole essay I forgot about due tomorrow and I haven’t even started it! I’m sorry.”

“This isn’t an excuse, is it?” Jisung asked, wiping a bit of dribbled toothpaste on his hand.

“No, I swear. I’ll come with you to the next party, I just really need to work on this essay.”

“Fine, but you’re on thin ice!”

Seungmin quickly nodded and began working on the research paper as soon as he was finished with his Chemistry homework. Jisung left at nine, as they had originally planned to, and Seungmin had only written a third of what was required of him. His head hurt, to say the least, and he was having difficulties focusing because of it. He turned the lights off and dimmed his laptop, turned his fairy lights on and some soft piano music in hopes of easing this headache. It didn’t work and he resorted to taking some painkillers in order to finish this godforsaken essay by midnight. Eventually, he did finish writing it, but the headache had forced him to lie in bed, eyes closed in pain, for about an hour before he could finally sleep. Hopefully, Jisung would be home by the time Seungmin woke up for work the next morning.

The familiar alarm went off and Seungmin whined in protest. He let it ring for a minute, arguing with himself about getting up, but eventually giving into the start of his day. Seungmin turned off his alarm and sat up, glancing over in the dark to Jisung’s bed. It wasn’t made, it never was, but the blanket was pushed against the wall and it was empty. Jisung hadn’t come back so Seungmin promptly texted him.

“Hey, you didn’t come back? Hope you’re okay.”

Seungmin got ready for work like he always did, of course, worried for Jisung. Seungmin put on a usual pair of jeans and a yellow sweater for the day, converse and his backpack hastily put on before he went to work.

The shift was normal, besides Seungmin leaving his ringer on and his phone in his pocket. Usually, he would keep it in his bag, but his worries for Jisung only grew the longer the boy didn’t answer. Finally, at about ten, his ringtone went off. Changbin took over as Seungmin quickly checked it, praying it was Jisung.

“I’m fine Min! Just crashed at Felix’s place after getting too drunk last night. The party was awesome too bad you were stuck in prison again.”

“Thank god, you had me freaking out this morning. Pls, text me next time Ji.”

Seungmin’s anxieties had been relieved, thank goodness. Seungmin’s Thursday was also just as plain and boring as every other day besides Hyeri texting him for permission to shoot Friday in the morning.

Seungmin had told Jisung about the shoot and Jisung still agreed, assuring the boy that he had no plans or conflicting activities. Jisung lied. Although, not on purpose.

Friday morning when Seungmin woke up he showered and got ready as usual, knowing they planned to meet at 10:30 AM at Hyeri’s dorm. He woke Jisung up soon after Seungmin had finished getting ready, and yet midway into getting ready Jisung’s phone received several phone calls.

“Hey, what’s up, you never call me like this? What do you mean? I’ll be there in 40 minutes, don’t panic until I’m there okay?” Jisung hung up the phone and quickly finished getting ready.

“What’s going on Ji?”

“That was my mom, my dad was in some sort of accident. I’m not sure what happened but she needs me to come home right now. I’m sorry to ditch you and our plans, but-”

“It’s family, I get it. Go take care of her.”

Jisung let the door close behind him and Seungmin quickly texted Hyeri to tell her about what happened.

“Still meet me here at 10:30 please! I’ll contact some people but we can get you in costume and do makeup until they get here!”

“Okay, I’ll be there in 10! Sorry again!”

Seungmin’s legs walked wearily to Hyeri’s dorm, worried about Jisung yet again. His best friend really ran into a lot of trouble, both caused and not caused by himself. He hoped Jisung would be okay, but he was kind of grateful to have a shoot to distract him, regardless of the setback.

Seungmin wandered the halls of Hyeri’s dorm, knocking on the door as soon as he found it.

Hyeri’s small figure opened the door and peeked at the taller boy. She smiled and welcomed him in, her room pretty much what Seungmin expected it to be. It was themed around white, grey, and pink. She had photos of her old friends and hometown planted around her side of the room. Fairy lights littered the room, lit and caused a soft yellow glow. She had several potted plants, a few stuffed animals on her bed. It was cozy and comfortable. Seungmin’s eyes wandered around the room, his eyes landing on a figure, the person he would be taking photos with.

“Seungmin, meet Hyunjin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hAHAHAH
> 
> I'm a bit evil I will admit, but I regret nothing...


	4. Valkryie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.
> 
> Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_   
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_   
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_

Hyunjin’s eyes looked up from his phone that he was so distracted on. The boys’ eyes met, both in surprise, though Seungmin’s was closer to terror. It was a few seconds of silence, Hyunjin’s stares piercing Seungmin in the most frightening way.

Hyeri peeked at both boys, her eyes wavering slightly, “Do you two know each other?”

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Hyunjin grumbled, his tone causing more distraughtness.

“I’m Hyeri’s partner for this project, who do you think you are, butting in-” Seungmin started taking a step forward toward the boy.

“Being a good friend, asshole.” Hyunjin quickly replied, standing up to tower over the boy. That’s what Seungmin felt like, despite the older boy not being that much taller in frame.

Hyeri quickly put herself between the two and shoved them apart.

“Alright, listen, obviously, you two don’t like each other. That’s fine. I need to get this shoot done today and I know that you can be professional about this. So, for my sanity, please try to be civil with each other.”

She let out a large sigh, pulling Seungmin onto her bed to start his makeup. Seungmin’s mind wandered as she put foundation on the boy. He was used to doing makeup for shoots, but he was not used to dealing with Hyunjin. Why of all people did the ‘friend’ have to be Hyunjin? Why was it that those two boys always ended up together somehow? Truthfully, after the week of Hyunjin not coming into the coffee shop, Seungmin had forgotten he existed. It wasn’t until they met eyes that the memory of their last interaction kept replaying in his head. Shoving that twenty-dollar bill into Hyunjin’s coffee and him storming out only to never be seen again. Seungmin wished it had stayed that way.

The silence was so painful for Seungmin. Hyunjin was minding his own business on his phone and avoiding the idea of Seungmin sharing the same air as him, but Seungmin just felt pressured. Maybe that wasn’t the right word, but he couldn’t think of anything else to describe it through the fog of his mind. 

“Hyeri?” Seungmin mumbled, opening his eyes lightly to look up at the girl, who was busy at work placing little, tiny sparkles and gems below Seungmins eyes. “Would we be able to play some music while you finish?”

“Oh yeah, of course,” Hyeri spoke, standing to go over to her laptop and put on some of her music. It wasn’t what Seungmin was used to, but he would take anything over the silence that came with Hyunjin.

After what felt like forever, Seungmin’s makeup was finally done. A subtle eye look, foundation, and the key element, sparkles under the eyes and on the cheeks. Though, if he was being honest, they were uncomfortable and took forever to put on. Thankfully, Hyeri did Hyunjin’s before Seungmin had arrived. How she did it in so little time, Seungmin had no idea, but Hyeri often woke up late in the morning and smacked her own makeup on before leaving the house.

“Alright you two, let’s get in my car,” Hyeri called out to Hyunjin, who although definitely heard her, did not raise his head from his social media feed.

Hyeri grabbed her purse and shooting equipment, before getting in the car. The shooting location wasn’t far, a small public garden only a few blocks away. Seungmin sat up front, Hyunjin in the back, his legs kicked up on the other seat for comfortability. He was dressed pretty much like he normally was and here was Seungmin with sparkles on his face and soon to be horns when they arrived at the location.

It was a foggy, almost muggy day, which was why Hyeri had to wait a week. Even though the same effect could’ve been done in-post, it was far more effective, realistic, and beautiful to have the setting as close to the vision as possible.

Seungmin and Hyeri chattered on the way to the shoot, Seungmin’s smiling face coming back at Hyeri’s jokes, practically forgetting Hyunjin was in the backseat. When the trio arrived Seungmin assisted Hyeri in carrying her equipment, including a wooden kitchen chair that she had stuffed into the trunk of her tiny car.

“What on earth do we need a chair for?” Hyunjin asked, as rudely as ever in the presence of Seungmin.

“Posing, height. Photographers use it for a lot of things, though I suppose someone like you wouldn’t understand.” Seungmin gritted his teeth as he spoke.

“Oh please, I’ve done several photoshoots and-”

“Can you two shut up already, we’ve been here less than 5 minutes and you’re already annoying me,” Hyeri growled, her tiny legs struggling against some of the brush they were walking through. “Both of you have done theater so take this photoshoot as acting, act like you like each other!”

Hyunjin rolled his eyes and continued walking through the brush, following Hyeri’s tiny steps. His hand pushed back a tree branch that when let go smacked a few sparkles off Seungmin’s face when they collided.

Seungmin held his hand against his now pink cheek, ducking under the tree and furrowing his brows slightly in pain. Idiot.  
They reached the small opening in the greenery, in which Hyeri quickly set up the chair on one side of the shot, placing a tripod in the dirt and pressing a few buttons to fix the exposure and ISO levels. 

“Alright, Seungmin here are your horns.” Hyeri pulled out the horn pieces very carefully from a display box and brought Seungmin over to the chair to put them on for him. Her short stature hoisted herself on the chair and quickly bobby pinned them down. They were white, covered in similar sparkles that were once perfectly placed on Seungmins cheeks, only slightly ruined by Hyunjin’s branch. 

“I’m assuming I’ll be the one standing on the chair?” Seungmin asked, offering his hand out to Hyeri who stared blankly for a moment before taking it and hopping down into the gravel.

“That is correct. Have you guys ever heard of Valkyries?” Hyeri asked, going back to the camera to ensure the chair was placed correctly.

“The beings that take heroes who die in battle to the afterlife?” Hyunjin asked, following Hyeri to peek over her shoulder at the very grey and green scenery created by the weather. Seungmin knew about valkyries too, let’s get that straight. He was, however, impressed a nitwit like Hyunjin knew anything about mythology, let alone Norse instead of Greek.

“Exactly. That’s the feel we’re going for today. Seungmin is a Valkyrie that has come to take you from battle.”

“Hmm, sounds interesting. So what’s the chair for?” Hyunjin asked. 

Seungmin’s eyes rolled so far the world spun for a moment.

“To make it look like I’m floating.” Seungmin’s legs carried him to the chair that he promptly stood upon, beckoning Hyunjin to follow him.

“Let’s just take a few test shots then?” Hyeri asked, placing her eyes up to the camera lens and pressing the capture button. Seungmin and Hyunjin both blankly staring at her waiting for instruction. It was a few minutes of her taking shots and readjusting the settings to get the colors and lighting to look right, but as soon as she got it the boys continued.

“Okay Seungmin, can you go on your tiptoes for me and bend your right leg slightly?” Hyeri asked, meeting eyes with the boy who promptly did as told. He couldn’t hold the pose for long, the pointing of the toes incredibly difficult to do and actually look like a floating figure. He kicked his leg up to his toes, trying to look natural while doing it, despite feeling like all the bones in his feet were breaking. He was only up for a second before his foot fell flat against the chair and the shot was already taken.

“Seungmin, that was really good, but some minor adjustments! Bend the leg just slightly more and if you can get higher up on the toes without bending them that would be amazing.”

“I’ll try but I’m no ballerina.” Seungmin’s heels kicked off, his toes cracking under the pressure of his whole body. It was uncomfortable, but he knew none of his toes were actually broken. His heels hit the chair again with a thud and the shot was over. 

“Yes, perfect!” Hyeri exclaimed happily, “Okay let’s start shooting! Hyunjin, think of Seungmin as an angel or celestial being that you’ve never seen before. He is the definition of pure beauty and you are in wonder of the being in front of you. Seungmin, you’re feeling should be more emotional and empathetic toward Hyunjin. First scene, you meet eyes. Seungmin, I’ll take photos on your call, just count me in!”

Seungmin’s voice counted down from three, his heels kicking his weight onto his toes and he looked at Hyunjin, who looked at him back. Their eyes locked carefully, followed by a shutter of the camera lens and the hit of heels against the chair.

Three, two, one, the gaze hadn’t left. Seungmin’s toes pointed as the boys exchanged looks over wonder and intrigue.

Three, two, one, an outstretched hand from the valkyrie to the soldier, soft and curved. Beckoning the man to join him in the afterlife. Seungmin’s eyes glanced at his hand as his heels crashed into the chair again.

“Keep going! The more shots the better, I know it's uncomfortable.”

Seungmin kept counting and bouncing from his toes to his heels, regardless of what Hyunjin was doing. He knew that in reality, candid shots would be better for realism. His hand remained outstretched and Hyunjin outstretched his own. Their hands weren’t touching, in fact, there was plenty of room in between them, but Seungmin’s heart still beat out of his chest. This boy he had never gotten along with nearly touching him made him uncomfortable. Yet, his figure was breathtaking. His eyes were soft, and it was the first time Seungmin saw any life in them. His lips were opened just slightly, but they appeared smooth and soft. His hair moved gently in the breeze that hit Seungmin’s back, and for a moment he felt like he was meeting with a long lost soldier who needed his assistance.

Three, two, one, imbalance. Seungmin’s eyes widened as he lost his balance after going on his toes. His hand slammed into Hyunjin’s, the immediate response to reach out for the younger. Hyunjin’s free hand never made it to Seungmin’s waist, but both their hands were out, brushing against the other’s frame.

“I’m fine, just slipped.” Seungmin quickly retracted his hand, wiping it gently on the pants he was wearing.

“You’re not hurt are you?” Hyeri asked, her head rising from the camera view.

“No, I’m totally fine thank you.”

“Well, I think I have all these shots so we can move onto something else. Can you move the chair and fix the gravel so it looks like nothing was there? I need the background shot.”

Seungmin nodded and did exactly as told, his arm grabbing the back of the chair and bringing it behind the camera. He returned and fixed the gravel so it didn’t have leg indents, then Hyeri quickly snapped a few photos of the background.

“Okay, I’d like to get some portrait shots from behind Hyunjin while you look at each other. Seungmin just keep doing what you’ve been doing.” Hyeri took the camera from the tripod and left it behind, grabbing onto Hyunjin’s shoulders to guide him into the frame.

She quickly snapped photos while the boys locked eyes uncomfortably. Hyunjin looked around more than at Seungmin, but the boy had to keep ‘eye contact’ even if Hyunjin wasn’t. Seungmin took some simple shots, along with a few of him seemingly looking up to the heavens.

“These look nice, do you want to see?” Hyeri asked, scrolling through the photos, a boy on either side of her frame to sneak a peek.

“Are we done then?” Hyunjin asked, shoving his hands in his hoodie pockets and rolling his eyes, hoping for an answer that could get him home and out of Seungmin’s presence.

“I was hoping to get one more scene, but you’ll hate me for it, Hyunjin,” Hyeri giggled nervously as the older and much taller boy sighed in defeat. “I’ll pay you extra?”

“Fine, just tell me what it is.”

Hyeri’s arm outstretched, pointing between the boys. Their eyes turned to follow her, the finger pointed at a small lake.

“I want to get a shot of Hyunjin lying in the water with Seungmin’s reflection.”

“Double or I won’t,” Hyunjin quickly stated, “and you do my laundry.”

“Deal.”

The trio walked toward the lake, Seungmin wading into the freezing cold water first. His teeth began to chatter, and just for a moment, he felt bad for what Hyunjin was going to have to deal with.

Hyunjin sighed lightly and put his hood up against his hair, lying in the gravel to get only his upper half in the water.

Hyeri framed the photo to only keep part of Hyunjin’s chest and head in the shot. She moved Seungmin carefully to get the correct placement for the shot.

“Hyunjin close your eyes and stay very, very still. If you move, so does the water and I can’t get the shot.”

The boy’s eyes closed, looking as handsome as ever. Seungmin, in this moment, remembered the first thought of Hyunjin he had, that his looks could rival Apollo.

The water rippled lightly but eventually stilled, several quick shots were taken before Hyunjin’s eyes shot open and he pulled himself from the lake. His teeth were chattering and he quickly took off the black hoodie he was wearing to show a grey tee. He was shivering, goosebumps riddling his arms and he shook his head.

“We’re turning the heater way up in the car,” was all the soaked boy said before storming off through the brush to find the warmth he so desperately craved.

Seungmin waded from the water, pants soaked from the knee down.

“Can you help me carry the chair and everything back?” Hyeri asked, quickly following after Hyunjin. At least, she was trying to.

“For sure, I can take the chair back so you don’t have to struggle with it.”

Seungmin quickly grasped the chair and hoisted it up, Hyeri shortening her tripod and shoving it into her backpack. The two wandered through the brush, making their way back to the car that Hyunjin was leaning against. The older boy was still shivering, his arms wrapped around himself for warmth. Hyeri pulled her keys out of her pocket and quickly pressed the unlock button for Hyunjin. As soon as the click was done he pulled the door open, climbed into the front seat, and slammed the door closed. Hyeri went to the driver’s side, quickly placed her bag in the back and climbed in with him.

The heat was immediately turned on, and although it was a cold day Seungmin quickly began to overheat. Hyunjins arms finally unhinged from themselves, the warmth reentering his body after laying in freezing cold water for several minutes. Honestly, Hyunjin felt like he was going to die, or at least leave with hypothermia. 

When they arrived at Hyeri’s dorm, the three pulled themselves from the car.

“I’m headed back to my apartment, Hyeri,” Hyunjin said, making his way to his own vehicle, “I’ve got to get out of these clothes, but I’ll be back in an hour or two with my laundry.”

Hyeri saluted with her index and middle finger, “I’ll be here waiting.”

Seungmin followed the girl into the building and up the stairs to her room. He grabbed his change of clothes and quickly changed in their bathroom. When he came out Hyeri was already loading her SD card onto her laptop to look through the photos.

“Can I take a sneak peek?” 

“Mhm, sure.” Hyeri’s hands quickly used the fingerpad to open the files she had just uploaded. She scrolled through them, admiring the work the boys had done. Seungmin will admit the shots looks pretty amazing, even before Hyeri’s editing. 

“They look gorgeous,” Seungmin mumbled, staring at Hyunjins figure in the shots more than himself.

“All thanks to you.”

Seungmin smiled lightly at the girl, who easily returned the smile. Their eyes met for a moment and Seungmin could see the beautiful shade of brown Hyeri’s eyes were. They were a lighter brown, almost a tinge of green in them. Hyeri’s eyes looked back and form between Seungmin’s, noticing how soft and gentle they looked back at her.

She snapped back to reality, clearing her throat and looking back at the photos, “I’ll send these to you as soon as I’m done editing them.”

Seungmin nodded and grabbed his things, Hyeri following him to the door to let him out.

“Thanks again for helping me with this shoot,” Hyeri said, half mumbling.

“Of course, it turned out really well and you’re an amazing photographer.” 

Seungmin’s hands outstretched asking for a hug goodbye. Hyeri stared at him for a moment, a flush coming to her cheeks. Her lips curled lightly into a small smile before she reached out and wrapped her arms around the boy. It was a short hug, but Seungmin was the perfect hugging height, and Hyeri fit ever-so-perfectly under the boy’s chin.

“I’ll see you Monday in photography!” She called out as the boy wandered down the hallway. He turned to give a wave and left the dorm, returning to his own.

When Monday rolled around, Seungmin’s alarm clock rang at the usual ungodly hour. He smacked it and groaned, reluctantly rolling out of bed. He knew it was his own fault that he felt so tired, but really how could he resist watching a horror movie with Jisung in the wee hours of the night.

Seungmin took a hot shower and got ready like he always did, blow-drying his hair and putting on jeans and a purple-striped long sleeve shirt after his shower. His white hightops were placed on his feet and he got his backpack together before glancing at the time. He would get to the cafe a few minutes earlier, but that wouldn’t be a problem. 

Seungmin threw on his puffy winter jacket and left the dorm with his bag over his shoulder. It was freezing, as it had been for the past few days after the shoot. The weather seemed to only be getting worse, and in all honesty, Seungmin didn’t appreciate it. It was flurrying when Seungmin left the building, small flakes sticking to the black jacket he was wearing. He threw his hood up to protect his hair and walked more briskly to the shop to escape the cold.

He pulled out his key when he arrived at the glass door, quickly shoving it in and turning it. The door swung open and closed, Seungmins back leaning against the pane in pure bliss of the warmth inside the coffee shop. He shoved the key into his pocket and walked behind the counter to turn all the lights on. He pulled off his backpack and jacket, hanging them up in the designated area in the back. He turned the heat up slightly and pulled his black apron on over his head. He tied it as he wandered to the glass door, flipping the sign to read ‘Open’.

Seungmin opened the cafe, five minutes early at 6:25 am, expecting nobody to come in until the regulars started around seven. It was around 6:35 when the bell above the door rang, the familiar ding hitting Seungmin’s ears.

“Welcome in, what can I get for you today?” Seungmin turned around toward the boy, a smile on his face that slowly curved downward in addition to furrowed brows. “Good morning, Hyunjin. The regular?”

Hyunjin shook his head as Seungmin approached the register as the older boy finally cleared his throat to speak.

“Do you have anything that can help me?” Seungmin immediately understood what the boy was asking. The older sniffled after he talked, letting out a cough soon after. His voice was raspy and barely alive, words were hard for him, his throat felt like it was being ripped to shreds, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

“Did that shoot get you sick?!” Seungmin asked, eyes wide open at the boy’s condition. He glanced outside the window to see the flurrying had only gotten worse since he opened the shop.  
Hyunjin merely nodded, half in tiredness, half in fear of tearing his throat up. Seungmin rang him up silently.

“This drink is one of my specials, so if you come later tonight and Jihyo or Sam is working, just ask for Seungmin’s special, alright? The total is 3.25.”

Hyunjin pulled out his card from his wallet, quickly swiping it. Seungmin pulled the receipt and handed it to the boy along with his card.

“It might take a bit longer than your usual roast,” Seungmin said, Hyunjin nodding and going on his phone for the wait.

The brew only took a few minutes, green tea being poured into a large cup. Seungmin placed two tea bags into the already done roast, peach and mint, throwing a spoonful of honey and a slice of lime in as well. He pushed the lid on the cup and placed a cupsleeve on it before handing it over.

Hyunjin took a large sip of the drink and nodded lightly to Seungmin, giving a wave before leaving the shop. Seungmin felt bad for him, I mean he must’ve felt awful this weekend. Maybe he should do something for him.

Seungmin slammed the mug he was holding on the counter.

“Stop feeling bad for him, he deserves it!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far this has been my favorite chapter to write! I'm also super excited to be writing chapters 5 and 6, I hope you love them just as much!


	5. Progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.
> 
> Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_   
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_   
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_

When Seungmin’s shift was over he had finally forgotten about Hyunjin or at least felt less like an idiot. Literature was super boring, Seungmin and Seojung talked most of the class by typing in the same document on their computer.

Honestly, Seungmin was kind of excited because Seojung agreed to meet him after Photography and grab a coffee at the Cafe. They seemed to hit it off well as friends, which meant Jisung would hopefully get off Seungmin’s back about getting out more. Now that he thought about it, he was doing so much this week already. The shoot and now getting coffee with a friend, and it was only Monday!

Photography was fun because Hyeri scrambled into the classroom, laptop already open when she sat down, “Look at how great these turned out Seungmin!”

Class hadn’t started but half of the students were already there. They all turned to look at the screaming girl.

“Sorry, just excited…,” Hyeri raised a hand and bowed slightly to the class and continued talking to Seungmin, “You look stunning in these photos!”

Seungmin scrolled through them, the editing making them seem ethereal even more than Seungmin could imagine.

“Have you sent these to me yet?” Seungmin asked, pulling out his own laptop to look for inspiration.

“No, I’ll send the folder to you right now.” Hyeri’s fingers tapped at her keyboard, placing Seungmin’s email address into the recipient line. She hit the enter button and Seungmin’s phone went off, the notification coming in.

“Ahh thank you so much!” Seungmin smiled giddily and opened the folder to scroll through himself. He stared at the screen making note of his own face in these photos. Hyeri’s editing style was incredible, and the sparkles came out so pretty on Seungmin’s face. For the first time in a while, he thought he looked good, handsome even. He scrolled far enough to reach the last photo of the folder, the one of Hyunjin lying in the water with Seungmin’s reflection. His eyes wandered around his own face in the water but got easily distracted.

Hyunjin’s eyes were closed, Seungmin noticing a mole under his right eye that he hadn’t noticed before. His lips, which he had stared at during the shoot looked even more soft and gentle, His face was peaceful and gorgeous. Seungmin couldn’t stop staring at the boy’s perfect features, the balance was truly breathtaking.

“Alright class, let’s start our lesson on Color and Light.”

Seungmin shook from his trance of Hyunjin’s beauty and slammed his laptop closed. He pulled out his notes and pens while Hyeri glanced at him. He was acting weird.

When the teacher gave a minute to look for ideas for the next project Hyeri started a conversation with Seungmin.

“I know you don’t like him and everything, but you’re acting kind of weird about it. Are you okay?” The whisper was small, Seungmin barely had realized she was talking to him.

“Yeah sorry, I was just lost in thought I guess. Hey, do you want to join a friend and I for coffee when class is over? She’s really nice and I think you would get along.”

“Well, I don’t really have anything else to do so sure, I’ll come with you!”

When the teacher dismissed the lecture, the two put their laptops away and threw the bags over their shoulders. They giggled and talked walking toward the cafe, walking in to greet Jihyo. The two put their bags down in a booth before walking up to the register in line.

There was an unfamiliar girl in front of them in line, someone Jihyo obviously knew. Seungmin tried his hardest not to eavesdrop, but his curiosity got the best of him. Her name was Minkyeung, probably a Junior. She was pretty, but not Seungmin’s type.

After she was done ordering, Jihyo greeted them warmly, “Hey guys! What can I get for you both today?”

“Hmm, what smoothies do you recommend?” Hyeri asked, browsing the menu intensely.

“My favorites are the straw-berry-fine or mango-ing-crazy.”

“Can I do the mango one?” Hyeri asked, smiling at the older girl who simply giggled back in approval.

“I’ll do a razzle-berry-dazzle-berry. Oh, and I’m paying for both of us.” Seungmin pulled out his wallet to swipe his card.

“Two smoothies coming right up for the lady and gentleman,” Jihyo teased.

The pair moved to the side of the counter, keeping their conversation up about the weird kid that sat in front of them in photography. He always smelt like energy drink and angst, overall just an out of place kid for photography. They laughed and the bell rang as another body entered the cafe. Seungmin instinctively looked over at the door, as if he was working, and was immediately met with a huge smile.

“Seojung!” He opened his arms for a hug from her, who quickly gave him one. “Hyeri this is Seojung, Seojung this is Hyeri. Can I get you a drink?”

The black-haired girl brushed her hair behind her ears and shyly replied that she could purchase her own drink, but Seungmin would not have that. He insisted that he pay for her, so she got an iced americano.

The drinks were all delivered together, Seungmin leading the girls to the booth they shared.

“So are you a photography major too, Hyeri?” Seojung asked, stirring her drink with the straw, the ice clinking against the cup.

“Mhm!” She nodded while taking a sip, swallowing before asking a question in return. “What major are you?”

“Journalism. Seungmin and I sit next to each other in Literature. Speaking of, don’t forget we have an exam on Wednesday.”

Seungmin groaned and tilted his head back in frustration, “I completely forgot. I have one in Chemistry on Thursday too. This week is gonna kill me.”

“I’m feeling it too, I have two exams this week tomorrow and Wednesday,” Hyeri took another sip of her drink before answering Seungmin’s question of what courses, “Biology and Anthro.”

“That sounds absolutely disgusting. I only have our lit exam on Wednesday, but I have ones for psychology and mandarin next week.” Seojung replied, which created a gasp of surprise from the other two.

“You’re taking mandarin?!”

“Unfortunately. It's so hard to study, but all the writing majors have to do secondary languages.”

“I’m so sorry for your loss.” Seungmin joked, causing an uproar of laughter.

The trio stayed for about an hour in the cafe getting to know each other and exchanging numbers. Seungmin didn’t know how he did it, but it looks like he got a little friend group together! They parted ways, giving hugs and smiles. Seungmin meandered his way home, barging into the dorm only to half spook his roommate.

“It took you an hour and a half to walk back from class?” Jisung asked, a bite of ham sandwich hanging from his lips.

“I met up with friends at the cafe for a bit.”  
“You what? You have friends?!”

“Jisung!”

“Oh come on you know what I mean!” He pointed his sandwich at the boy, who had since kicked his shoes off and plopped onto his bed.

“Yeah, but I actually have been making good friends this semester. I somehow convinced both of them to join me in coffee, it was a fun time, and now we have a group chat.”

“I never once thought you’d be interacting with someone other than me.”

Seungmin threw a pillow at the blonde-haired boy, it missing and hitting the bed frame before falling to the floor. Seungmin sighed in defeat, his head hitting his pillow.

“You’re going to fall asleep, Min, set an alarm.”

“Fine. Thanks, Mom.”

“I’m Dad, get it right.”

When Seungmin woke up from his nap, he didn’t feel much better sleep-wise. It was only an hour and a half since he had fallen asleep, so it was about dinner time. When he looked over at Jisung, he was wrapped in a blanket watching a movie.

“Hnngh, can I just sleep for the next 2 days?” Seungmin asked, reluctantly rolling around in bed with his eyes closed.

“I think if you sleep that much, you die.”

“That works too.”

Seungmin spent the next few days studying in his free time. As much as he hated doing it, both of his exams he was nervous for. He also had a bad habit of using the stress of exam week to further himself in his studies. Did that hurt him in the end? Maybe, but at least he got good grades.

Seojung and him even spent an afternoon at the cafe studying for their Literature exam. Seungmin did well on the exam, getting a high B, but that wasn't what he was worried about. His real worry was his Chemistry exam. The questions were so difficult and there were so many terms he had to memorize, it always felt like his brain was frying.

Seungmin would never condone pulling an all-nighter, but that’s what he did Wednesday night into Thursday. He could hardly keep his eyes open by the time his shift was over, keeping himself awake by caffeine alone. After work, he did his exam, died a little on the inside, fell asleep at least twice in pre-calc, went back to the dorms, and fell asleep until his shift Friday morning.

Hyunjin came in again on Friday, his cold finally starting to fade. He thanked Seungmin for his tea remedy, as he had been coming in at least twice a day and it helped his voice wonders. 

After his classes, he went back to the dorm to find Jisung digging through his clothes, obviously trying to find something. For what, Seungmin wasn’t sure.

“Hey, party tonight at Lix’s.” 

“I’m not going.”

“You promised!”

“Yeah, but you promised to do the shoot with me and you didn’t so why should I go to the party with you, Ji?”

“Kim Seungmin! I had family problems you cannot back out of this! Look to make it up to you if you need a model I’ll do it for you okay? Make it even? Please just come with me. Pleaseeeeee?”

Seungmin rolled his eyes at the boy who was begging for his presence. He finally agreed after about an hour of pleading every five minutes. Jisung finally found his red flannel he was looking for, Seungmin finally realizing it was because he was trying to impress someone at this party.

Seungmin finally got ready at 8:30, scrolling through his social media feed to cure his boredom. He pulled on his shoes and grabbed his grey hoodie before following Jisung out the door.

“Where do Felix and Chris even live?”

“The international dorms. I take the bus there instead of walking all the way across campus.”

The pair walked down to the bus stop, the stars very visibly out. They stood there for only a few minutes before the bus pulled up. They got on, Jisung immediately walking up to a pair of boys, neither of which Seungmin knew. Well, he kind of knew Minho because he came in to see Changbin a lot, but the other he had never seen before.

“This is my roommate Seungmin, finally got him out of our room,” Jisung laughed, “This is Minho and Seungwoo.”

“Nice to meet you guys,” Seungmin gave a small smile, sitting down next to Jisung and avoiding conversation between them.

When they arrived, it all felt like a fever dream. They walked in, the music blaring and lights going. Seungmin, even if he wanted to socialize, couldn’t even hear Jisung next to him speaking. He wandered his way around, finding the kitchen which was surprisingly peaceful. The music was quieter here and he could actually hear himself think, thank god. 

He found the drinks, grabbing a red plastic cup and filling it with a generic lemon-lime soda. He figured they had gotten it from the convenience store for super cheap. He took a sip of it, deciding that it wasn’t completely awful and turned toward the doorway. Even thinking about going back made him feel queasy so he decided to sit on the countertop by the fridge, which was empty of food and drinks. Three hours sitting here before Jisung was finally drunk enough to be convinced to go home, might as well just sneak out now. Seungmin knew that wasn’t a good idea though, and that Jisung really wanted him as a designated driver to drink more.

Seungmin was sitting, scrolling through his phone when his name was called.

“Seungmin, didn’t think you would be here.”

The boy's head lifted from his brightened screen, eyes a bit wide that anyone knew him, let alone who he had met eyes with.

“What's so surprising?” Hyunjin asked, going toward the drinks.

“Sorry, I just didn't realize you were friends with Chris or Felix.”

Hyunjin poured himself some soda then turned toward the boy, taking a sip before he cleared his throat to answer.

“Yeah, I’ve known Seungwoo all my life and Chris and him were roommates last year. That's how I know Hyeri too, Seungwoo’s her older brother. Did you meet him yet?”

“I did, he seems cool.”

“For sure.”

The silence was a bit awkward, neither boy knowing what to say to the other. Neither wanted to leave the solitude of the kitchen either.

“You seem to be feeling better, are you still sick?” Hyunjin’s head nodded simply to the question, taking another sip of soda. “Well uh, why are you at a party then?”

“I’ve been stuck inside all week, I needed to get out of that god-forsaken apartment.”

“Makes sense,” was all Seungmin muttered, his eyes wandering the kitchen, wondering if it would be rude to go back on his phone. He spent the next minute awkwardly staring at the ceiling, counting the tiles. 26, 27, 28, 29…

“Seungmin.”

His head flinched over to Hyunjin stature, who had in the time Seungmin was counting, moved to his side to lean his hip against the counter.

“I was talking to you and you completely ignored me. Stop being an ass.”

“I was lost in thought, I guess. I'm sorry.”

“It's okay.” Hyunjin glanced over at the boy but avoided eye contact, taking a sip of his soda. “I said, that the photoshoot turned out really well. I mean, I got a cold out of it and everything, but the photos are really beautiful. You did a great job. I mean in the sense that-”

Hyunjins rambling was cut off by Chris poking his head into the kitchen. 

“Oh hey Seungmin, didn’t know you were here! Seungwoo’s looking for you, Hyunjin.” Chris’s head disappeared back into the lights and music.

“Keep my drink safe for me?”

Seungmin nodded lightly at the request, Hyunjin taking a final sip from the cup and placing it on the counter next to Seungmin before disappearing. Seungmin spent the time he was gone on his phone, which was well over 30 minutes. When he did return all the said was “Thanks. See you later,” and ran off again.

Seungmin sighed at his loneliness and opted to find Jisung. It had been an hour and a half, which was fine, just very boring. 

Seungmin wandered the halls, crowded with people he didn’t know. When he found Jisung he was talking to Felix, a familiar face but not a friend, along with Minho and the girl who had come into the cafe just a few days before named Minkyeung.

“Hey Ji,” Seungmin said as he approached, causing the other boy to turn and give him a hug, half stumbling to reach him, “Woah, you’ve had a lot to drink.”

“I’m not surprised. This kid drinks more than most of us here.” Minho laughed a bit at Jisung who had since unlatched himself from Seungmin and disappeared to the other side of the room.

“Is he always like this here?”

Felix, Minho, and Minkyeung all nodded, the black-haired girl the only one who was also concerned for Jisung’s well being.

Jisung had already made his way back to the small group of people, handing a strawberry wine cooler over to the boy.

“Jisung, you know I don’t drink,” Seungmin whined, taking the drink for the purpose of eventually putting it back.

“Seungmin right?” Felix asked, the boy just nodding in response. Felix walked over, pulling a bottle opener out of his back pocket, and opening the bottle for Seungmin. “One won’t hurt you. Plus, wine coolers taste totally different from beer and you’ll probably really like it.”

“Just only have one or two, it's hard to tell how much you’re having when it tastes fruity.” She offered a smile in which Seungmin finally took a sip.

He nodded lightly with a shrug, “It’s pretty good.”

Jisung’s hands immediately went up in happiness, pulling Seungmin by the arm as he went to take another swig of the fruity drink. He nearly choked on the way to the ‘dance floor’ as Jisung called it. When they got there Seungmin laughed at his roommate, opting to drink half of his cooler to be sure it won’t spill and joining Jisung in dancing. 

The music wasn’t Seungmin’s taste, but it was great to dance too. The lights flashing no longer bothering Seungmin, who has adjusted to the music’s volume, the headache he had going away. Jisung and him were dancing in the middle of the crowd when a song came on that everyone knew. People began jumping around them, including Jisung. Seungmin laughed a bit, the warmth of the booze rising in him. He joined the crowd in jumping to the beat, his drink far up in the air among the others. 

Who knows how long they had been dancing when Seungmin took the last swig of his drink. For a moment he stared at it, debating if he wanted another, either way pushing through the circle to make his way to the kitchen. He tossed the bottle into the recycling bin and wandered the main room in search of another.

When Seungmin laid eyes on the sight he was seeing, the warmth of a slight buzz faded. Lips were locked, a messy kiss with hands in hair and on the cheek. Seungmin stared at the sight, Hyunjin’s lips locked with an unknown girl, ravaging her like lovers apart for years.

Seungmin turned away, the music fading back into existence. He had no idea why the knot in his stomach hurt so much, or why he was uncomfortable, but he knew more alcohol would help. He found the wine coolers, grabbing one and popping the top off. He brought the bottle to his lips, tipping it upwards but not taking a sip before seeing exactly what he wanted.

Seungmin grabbed the shot, of what he didn’t know, and downed it in one swig. The sting hurt his throat, his face contorting into pain and discomfort. He immediately took a sip of the wine cooler, which soothed his throat from what was obviously Tequila. Sure, he didn’t like it, but at least the buzz was coming back.

He wandered his way to dance, the lights becoming more blurred than normal. He could feel the tipsiness coming very slowly, the knot in his stomach fading quickly. The world was spinning but only slightly with all the lights and music. He lost Jisung, but it didn’t matter. He sipped and finished his drink, dancing until the music finally stopped.

Seungmin was covered in sweat, his hair clung to his forehead and his buzz made him feel warm and giddy. He wandered to the bathroom to wash his face and fix his hair, hearing Felix’s familiar voice into a microphone saying that the party was over and that everyone should leave.

The cool water was refreshing on Seungmin’s face, and woke him up a bit from his tipsiness. He fluffed up his hair and shook it out, trying to dry it a bit. Once he thought he looked presentable again he left the bathroom and out into the living room. Felix, Chris, Seungwoo, and Minho were all picking up empty cans and cups on the floor, trying to salvage the apartment.

Jisung was sprawled on the couch, a half-filled cup of beer in his hand, obviously drunk. He was saying something, but Seungmin couldn’t make out what it was. Seungmin took the cup from Jisung who promptly whined at the loss of his party juice. He gave it to Minho, who had already outstretched a hand to take it from the boy.

“Jisung, can you even walk at this point?” Seungmin asked, leaning down to shake the blond boy’s leg.

“I can walk just fine!” Jisung whined, pointing at Seungmin with furrowed brows.

“Then get up. Party’s over, let’s go home.”

Jisung whined, grabbing Seungmin’s hand to be pulled from the couch. He stumbled slightly, using the younger boy’s shoulders for stability. He finally balanced himself and wrapped an arm around Seungmin’s frame.  
“If you throw up on me on the way home, I’m going to murder you.” 

“No promises,” Jisung mumbled through laughter.

Seungmin led the boy to the front door, passing Hyunjin and Minkyeung on the way. Hyunjin gave a small smile and waved goodbye to the boys.

Seungmin’s knot in his stomach came back, and he didn’t understand why. Jisung dragged his feet all the way home, so it wasn’t like Seungmin could think about it. All he could think about was Jisung and his idiocracy for getting this drunk. He would undoubtedly have a hangover tomorrow, which in turn meant Seungmin taking care of him.

The party wasn’t worth it.

When Seungmin finally got Jisung into the dorm he was whining so loudly about wanting food. Seungmin plopped him onto the beanbag they had in their dorm before finding Jisung some chips to eat. He didn’t know if that would be sufficient for the boy or not, but Seungmin couldn’t really care. His buzz was still there, though a lot less than it was before. The knot in his stomach was still strong, and he wished it would go away.

Jisung had eaten approximately 12 chips before deciding he didn’t want them anymore. He passed them over to Seungmin, who put them away for the boy. Seungmin turned off the lights in the room, deciding that for the health of both of them they needed sleep. Jisung wandered off somewhere, most likely the bathroom with his pajamas, as Seungmin changed and climbed into bed.

Seungmin was thinking too hard about the sight he had seen at the party. Hyunjins long black hair framing his face every so perfectly, his lips being ravaged by a woman in a beautiful dress. Her hair was perfectly curled, Hyunjin’s hand running through it as they kissed sloppily. Her body was pushed against his in passion, her-

“Seungminnieee?” Jisung’s familiar voice, whining cutely, rang softly about the room.

“Hmm, what is it, Ji? Are you alright?”

“Can I sleep with you toniiight? We never spend any time together…” Jisung whined, eyes half open and arms splayed across Seungmins bed and body.

“Do you just want a cuddle buddy?” Seungmin asked, suspicious the answer would be yes. Jisung nodded his head lightly, Seungmin easily moving over for the boy.

Jisung climbed into Seungmin’s bed, lying on top of the arm the younger boy had left out, and nuzzling his head in the crook of Seungmin’s neck. His breathing started heavy, causing Seungmin to overheat for a bit, but he didn’t mind. He was grateful to have a wonderful roommate like Jisung. Plus, Seungmin hadn’t had physical touch in a long while and needed a big hug.

Seungmin wasn’t the kind of person to ask for the affection he desired, and yet he knew Jisung would be willing to give it. He missed Jeongin and his parents, the friends he used to hang out with all the time, spending time at the beach. He missed the love he no longer had.

His mind was wandering, part about Jisung, part about home, part about Hyunjin. He couldn’t get the vision of him out of his head, and he didn’t understand it. He thought maybe he wasn’t such a terrible person after all, but they weren’t friends. It wasn’t like they’d created a bond or friendship, so the only viable reason he felt uncomfortable was one of two things.

It was public affection and that’s gross, or because he hated Hyunjin.

Maybe Seungmin didn’t hate Hyunjin after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no comments for this chapter, but it was super fun to write!! I love all yall that are following this story and supporting me, thank you!


	6. Loathing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.
> 
> Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_   
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_   
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_

Sunlight hit Seungmin’s face in the morning, but that wasn’t what woke him up. Jisung stirred in his sleep, his brows furrowed and in obvious discomfort. Seungmin shook the boy awake lightly, causing a groan and immediate pain for the older.

Jisung had the worst hangover of his life. His head and heart were both pounding, his eyes hurt to even open them, his entire body was sore, and he felt queasy. As soon as the boy’s eyes opened, he tossed himself out of bed and into the bathroom. 

Seungmin could hear the boy vomiting pretty aggressively, so being the good friend and roommate that he is, he peeled himself out of the sheets to follow him.

Seungmin turned the light on in the bathroom, something Jisung had failed to do in his rush to even reach the toilet.

“Not to be an ass or anything, but this is why you shouldn’t drink as much as you did.” 

When Jisung glanced over at the boy Seungmin could see the pain on his face and nearly regret what he said, regardless of the fact he was right.

“I’m going to go to the convenience store to get some juice and stuff for you okay? I’ll get some hangover soup on the way back, like twenty minutes,” Seungmin said softly, leaning down to pat the other's head as he continued to vomit.

“Can you get me water before you go?” Jisung asked hoarsely.

Seungmin opened the fridge and rolled a water bottle into the bathroom before getting his jacket on. It wasn’t super cold out, though his toes said otherwise being in slip-on shoes. Seungmin’s hair was a bit of a mess and he rubbed his eyes a lot, realizing he needed to take out his contacts soon.

The sun hurt Seungmin’s eyes, still only half awake. When he got to the convenience store he got some orange, pineapple, and apple juice, along with some fruit cups. If Jisung wouldn’t eat them, he at least could.

He bought the goods and passed by a familiar restaurant Jisung and him went to. He got two orders of hangover soup, because, although Seungmin didn’t have a hangover, he thought it tasted good. The soup in takeout made his hand warm, a soft sigh leaving his mouth at the smell of the soup. 

When he got back to the dorm Jisung was still sitting in the bathroom, his legs visible. Seungmin placed the food and plastic bag on the counter in the kitchen, wandering over to the bathroom with the orange and apple juice to give Jisung an option.

He quickly picked the apple juice, taking a large swig and sighing in relief.

“Did you get all the vomit out of your system?”

“I think I got everything out of my system. There’s nothing left.”

Seungmin offered a hand out to Jisung who took it and followed him back to Seungmin’s bed. Jisung understood what he wanted and climbed in, sitting criss-cross and leaning his head against the wall. He drank more of the juice as Seungmin brought over the hangover soup for the both of them, along with chopsticks.

The two boys ate silently, the warmth fixing Jisung’s nausea and Seungmin’s sadness. Seungmin finished his soup first, obviously having more of an appetite than the other. He got up from bed to throw away his bowl and the empty apple juice Jisung had. He returned with a water bottle that Jisung traded his soup for.

Seungmin gently put the soup on his desk next to his bed and then waited for Jisung to finish drinking as much water as he wanted before taking that as well.

“Minnie?” Jisung asked softly, pushing his hair back and finally looking a whole lot better after having something to eat. “Did we fall asleep together last night?”

Seungmin nodded, seeing that Jisung obviously wasn’t done speaking.

“I didn’t make you uncomfortable, did I?” His voice shook lightly, full of worry that Seungmin would be upset with him.

“No, of course not,” Seungmin’s brows furrowed a bit, knowing Jisung was overthinking, “Why would I be?”

“I don’t know…” His voice trailed off into a mumble, “We’ve never like cuddled or anything, and I don’t like boys so I was worried you’d be freaked out or something.”

“I don’t have any problem with it, Ji. I let you sleep with me all night, didn’t I?”

Jisung’s head nodded lightly, slowly looking up to make eye contact with the boy, “So can we nap together?”

Seungmin couldn’t help but laugh, a small snort coming out as he climbed into bed next to the boy, pulling him into a hug and throwing the covers on top of them, both and falling asleep. 

Everything was normal for Seungmin the next few days. Going to work, class, doing homework, and crying over his art block for photography. He really needed to do a shot with color or lighting before the upcoming Monday, along with having it edited. 

Tuesday, the new group, which Hyeri had labeled “The Beagles”, met at the cafe. After ordering drinks, they sat down in the corner booth and pulled out their homework.

So maybe, it started off as a study session, but it sure as hell didn’t end up like that.

“What do you MEAN you didn’t sleep for 34 hours Seungmin?!” Seojung yelled across the table.

“Jung, you already said you were pulling an all-nighter tonight for your Mandarin exam!” Seungmin yelled back.

“Okay but nobody answered my question! Are fish waterproof?” Hyeri chimed in, causing a ruckus of laughter from Seojung. Seungmin’s head hit his hand.

“Hyeri, I would assume they’re waterproof because they exist in water.” The boy muttered through his hand, dragging his skin down in pain from this question.

“Yeah, but we live in the air, but our skin isn’t like- airproof, right? We absorb air through our skin?” 

“You don’t breathe through your skin, Hyeri.”

“Oh my god, I know that! But does that mean fish are waterproof or not?!”

“I’m going to get another drink,” Seungmin sighed as he peeled his legs from the booth, “Do you guys want anything?”

The girls both shook their heads, going on his own over to the register and ordering another smoothie. When he sat back down the girls were on a whole nother conversation, specifically about a book they had both recently read.

“What are you guys going on about?” Seungmin asked before taking a sip of his smoothie.

“Oh we’re talking about this book called Sherwood, it was really good! It's a rendition of Robin Hood, but the protagonist is a girl and there are some really good twists!” Hyeri said happily, her smile being contagious enough to spread to Seojung.

“I don’t know if it's your style, but if you want to read it I can let you borrow it,” Seojung tagged in.

Seungmin shrugged, “I’ll consider it. Maybe reading will get my art block to go away.”

“You’re feeling art block too?” Hyeri asked, closing her laptop and placing her head on it, “I haven’t even started the stuff that’s due on Monday.”

“Neither have I. I have no idea what I want to do for a concept. Maybe we could go look for locations tonight if you’re not busy?”

Hyeri nodded in agreement, Seojung finishing her ice americano and closing her laptop.

“I have to head back and start studying for my Mandarin exam.” 

“Please get at least a few hours of sleep Jungie?” Hyeri asked, leaning over to give the girl a side hug.

The triad packed up their belongings and shimmied out of the booth. Seungmin hugging Seojung goodbye first, followed by a full hug by Hyeri. They all left the cafe, Hyeri and Seungmin wandering their way through campus, past the illuminating light of the bus stop, and out onto the streets of Seoul.

“Should we just go to the Hongdae market, or do you want to venture out from there?” Hyeri asked, looking over at the boy.

“Hmm, let’s go to the department store in Myeongdong. If we take the subway it’ll only be like ten or fifteen minutes.”

Hyeri nodded and led the older boy to the subway station just a block down. The Hyunkook University subway stop wasn’t too busy going out, more coming in. They two bought their tickets at the kiosk and scanned in, walked down the stairs to the physical station. Hyeri held her ticket in the hand that was also holding her backpack.

Seungmin finally made note of what she was wearing, mainly due to the boredom of waiting for the tram. She wore leggings under a plaid skirt, a white band tee tucked into the black skirt. Her jacket was tan and puffy, similar in shade to her dyed light brown hair that was curled into low pigtails. Her backpack was a light pink color, likely rose.

He didn’t have much time to ponder these thoughts as the tram pulled into the station. The pair patiently waited for people to climb off before they got in. The ride was quiet and peaceful, the lights in the tunnel whizzing by the pair. The ride only took a few minutes, neither of them going on their phones, but instead opting to whisper on the train, trying not to laugh at the other’s jokes.

When the tram arrived the quickly got off, returning their tickets to the kiosk to get a small refund, which all college students needed. They climbed the stairs of the subway, reaching the outside of the first Euljiro stop in Myeongdong. 

The streets were illuminated brightly with open signs of pubs and beauty stores, somewhere off in the distance there was music, which Seungmin assumed were street dancers by the crowd that blocked off his view. They wandered around, looking at lots of the stores, but neither deciding to go into any of them.

“Seungmin, let’s go into this clothing store. They have a little cafe upstairs that might be good for us.” The boy couldn’t even respond, Hyeri’s hand already wrapped around his wrist and pulling him inside.

Seungmin giggled as they trampled up the stairs. The cafe was pretty, colored in earthy tones, more specifically browns and peaches. It was very cutesy, something Hyeri specifically looked good in under the lights.

“This almost matches your outfit. Can I snap a few pictures of you on my phone, just for the fun of it?”

“Sure!” The girl smiled over, standing up in one of the booths between two framed pictures. 

Seungmin quickly took the photos, pulling them up in his gallery as the girl hops down. They scroll through the ten or so photos, her pausing on two of them, requesting they be deleted.

“Hmm, why? I thought you looked cute in this one.”

“Well, I don’t like my eyes in them. You can tell I got surgery done.”

“Double eyelid you mean?” Seungmin asked, lowering his phone a bit to look at the girl, a soft expression spreading across his face, “Is that such a bad thing?”

“People tend to make fun of me for it, they ask if I’ve gotten anything else done like my jaw or nose. I just thought that double eyelids were pretty, and I wanted them myself.”

“They make you happy, don’t they? Don’t listen to what other people say, Hyeri.”

“That’s easier said than done. I’d be happy if you’d keep this between us. I don’t like telling people, but I trust you.”

The pair wandered down the stairs and out of the cafe, Seungmin’s hand being shoved into his pockets. He kept thinking about what Hyeri said, that people made fun of her for something that she loved about herself and it made him think. It made him think a lot about himself and all the things he was hiding from people, including the things he loved but feared to share with the world.

“I have things like that too, Hyeri,” He blurted out, as they wandered the streets farther away from the subway station. “Things that I hide from people I mean. I suppose since you shared one, I could do the same.”

Seungmin looked over at the girl, whose face went from an expression of surprise that her best friend had secrets to happiness in that he trusted her too. A smile spread across the boy’s face as he continued to speak, his voice at a low level to keep passersby from hearing.

“I like boys. I mean I’ve never dated one, but I prefer them over girls, you know? I’ve never really told anyone here, not even my roommate, but I’m glad to get it off my chest.”

“Is that what you meant when you said you were like the colors?”

“I guess you could say that. People used to make fun of me a lot in high school, but my friends really helped me through it. Now, I just don’t tell people. It makes it easier. Plus, I wish my life was as pretty as the pastel colors in that shoot. It's more like colors in the darkness.”

“Ah, I just had an idea!” Hyeri exclaimed, grabbing Seungmin’s hand and dragging him down a side street, reaching the opening on the other end to be facing an arcade. “You should do a photoshoot here, at the arcade. The lighting is dim, but all the colors are what makes it so you can see clearly.”

They never entered the arcade, the two just standing in front of it, Seungmin wrapping his arm tightly around the girl.

“Hyeri, I think you’re a genius.”

The next time the group hung out together was Thursday, just two days later. The group all agreed to go out to lunch, mainly due to the fact that Seungmin’s Chemistry class was canceled and the girls were free at the same time.

They had gone downtown in Hongdae to get sushi at a pretty popular place among the college students. They had arrived just after lunch, ordering boba tea to go with their sushi. The drinks and sushi were delivered and they started eating.

“So, Hyeri, did you ever figure out if fish were waterproof?” Seojung asked, laughing through a bite.

“No, but I’m convinced nobody actually knows. How was your Mandarin exam?”

“It made me cry twice while I was taking it, I think because I was so tired and stressed. I won’t know my score until next week, so until then I’ve come to accept that there’s nothing I could do about it.”

“Hey Hyeri, did you ever figure out what you were going to do for your photoshoot?” Seungmin asked, trying to pry a piece of boba from his cup to eat.

“I did actually! Seojung is going to be my model and we’re going to take some underwater pictures at the pool. I’m only doing it because the pool is heated. Otherwise, I was going to do something with flowers and a cafe.”

“That will be so cool though! I’m sure you’ll get an amazing grade on it.”

“Question, how long could you survive on the moon for?”

“Like with or without a mask?”

“Without.”

“Well, probably not long. I mean, how long until you can suffocate?”

“I don’t know, should I look it up?”

“If you need to. What is this for?”

“A story I’m writing. It's about…”

The voices of the two girls drowned out into the muttering and mumbling of the restaurant. Seungmin’s mind had wandered long enough to the point where he was staring at his food, deep in thought about something. His consciousness couldn’t even tell you what it was.

It took a few minutes before Hyeri had reached over and shook his arm a bit, asking if he was okay.

“I’m fine, just distracted. My head hurts a bit, but I don’t know why.”

“You’re not feeling sick, are you?” Seojung asked, causing the boy to shake his head, shrug, and return to conversation as normal.

The triad had spent probably around 40 minutes eat and chatting, Seojung asking how long it would take to walk to the moon, Seungmin complaining the entire time that walking to the moon was not possible as Hyeri was trying to figure it out. Seungmin loved their friend group, though sometimes he felt like he was losing brain cells being asked all these random questions.

The doorbell into the restaurant rang, in which Seungmin opted to ignore.

Hyeri, who was facing the door Seungmin had his back to, gave out a wave past Seungmin. He figured whoever it was wouldn’t approach but he was wrong.

“Hyeri, are you still coming over to the apartment later for game night?”

Seungmin turned and saw Seungwoo, someone who he had only met once but still could remember. His facial features were pretty strong and recognizable. He looked to the right of him to see the figure that was so obviously Hyunjin, in which he could tell just by looking at the way he held himself. 

“Oh yeah, for sure. I’m still bringing Betrayal, right?” Hyeri asked, before taking another bite.

“Hell yeah, it’ll be a blast! I’m gonna go order our lunch,” Seungwoo continued, looking over at Hyunjin, who nodded with a small smile. Seungwoo disappeared into the background of Seungmin’s thoughts, who had entirely shifted his attention to the other boy, who had yet to leave his sight.

“So you two have gotten closer since the shoot?” Hyunjin asked, Hyeri and Seungmin making eye contact and just nodding in response. “So who are you?”

Hyunjin leaned over, his hands leaving the pocket of his hoodie to stabilize himself on the table. 

Seojung, being the shy girl she was, just kind of looked flustered at the boy, unable to speak. 

“Her name is Seojung, and you’re making her uncomfortable,” Hyeri whined lightly, holding out her arm to push Hyunjin off the table. Distance between him and Seojung wouldn’t help, but hopefully, she wouldn’t feel so anxious about the situation.

“No need to push, little one.” Hyunjin laughed, Seungmin taking another bite of his food.

The anger he felt for Hyunjin began boiling. His mouth was watering, but not because of the food. He was uncomfortable. Hyunjin had made Seojung flustered, basically invading her personal space that she was so particular about. It took her a while before she accepted the hugs Hyeri insisted she receive. He then proceeded to call Hyeri short? I mean she was, but it didn’t mean he had to point it out.

“I didn’t push you, just moved you out of the way is all.” Hyeri reasoned, her head shaking lightly. She was closest to Hyunjin after all, she knew how to deal with him. She reasoned with him softly and calmly, her voice never raising to an unreasonable level, despite her being slightly uncomfortable.

Hyunjin instead leaned over to the younger girl, his hands placed back into his hoodie pockets, a piece of black locks falling to frame his face. His right leg was bent, an eyebrow raised slightly at the girl, who moved back to create a more reasonable space between the two.

“Can you please leave us alone, Hyunjin?” 

“Why would I want to leave you alone? I enjoy seeing you flustered and all. You had a crush on me last year, despite never dating anyone, and now you want me to leave you alone?”

Hyunjin’s voice echoed in Seungmin’s ears. It was sly, soft and yet mocking. The voice kept repeating in his head, it annoying him more than anything else. The anger rose and half of Seungmin wanted to just say something. Stand up for your friends, especially one you care about so much. Seungmin’s eyes closed, trying to push out the thought of Hyunjin, Hyeri, Soejung, even being sat in the booth at the restaurant. He imagined home, the wind blowing through his hair at the beach, staring at the sunset. He closed his eyes to bask in the warmth, the familiar sound of the waves crashing against the sand, but when he opened them he was just back where he didn’t want to be.

Hyunjin was still perched over Hyeri, the girl obviously uncomfortable and flustered. Her cheeks were bright pink, searching Hyunjin’s face for something, anything, that would indicate he would leave. She never found it, her eyes blinking more rapidly in nervousness. Seojung had scoot her way entirely over to the edge of the booth, away from Hyunjin and to give Hyeri room to move away from the man.

Hyunjin stared at Hyeri, their eyes connecting as Seungmin took in the sight. Hyunjin was making his best friends upset, which in turn upset him.

“You’re blinking a lot, are your eyes acting up again?”

Seungmin didn’t remember anything after that, other than hearing Hyunjin’s voice and a pain in his hand. His brain felt like it was seconds behind his body, his chest filled with adrenaline and heavy breaths, his head ringing to the point he could tell Hyeri was trying to communicate with him, but for what he didn’t know.

When the ringing finally went away, Hyunjin had turned toward Seungmin, hand being removed from his nose. Seungmin could see the red liquid, mixed with the pain in his hand, and immediately knew what had happened.

Hyeri and Seojung rushed from the restaurant, leaving bills on the table for the food and drinks, grabbing one of Seungmin’s hands and dragging him along. His feet followed him, but he didn’t think about it. All he could think of was what had happened.

Seungmin punched Hyunjin so hard he started bleeding, and the bitch knew he deserved it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I posted on my Instagram that I was evil? This is why hahahahha you're welcome!


	7. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.
> 
> Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_  
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_  
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_  
> Please read the notes at the end of the chapter for an important announcement about myself and this work, thank you!

“Seungmin, would you snap out of it?!” Hyeri yelled, the boy blinking as they reached the main courtyard of Hyunkook University. “For god’s sake, why would you do that?!”

“Because people don’t make fun of my friends Hyeri!”

“Thank you, but it wasn’t necessary! What if he presses charges?!”

Seungmin hadn’t thought about it, and honestly, he couldn’t give a shit. His friends were worth the overnight in a jail cell if necessary. Plus, what would Seungmin really be charged for, battery? It was one punch and it hardly made the other bleed. It would be fine, right?

Seungmin wasn’t Buddhist, nor did he believe in karma, but he worried that the world would get its revenge. You know how it is, something bad happens because of you and then the guilt stirs up inside of you until you don’t know what to do about it. Seungmin wasn’t guilty, but he worried the world would serve justice as if he was. Hyunjin did deserve to be punched in the face, maybe not bleed, but it was a small price to pay for Hyeri. He didn’t regret a thing.

Hyunjin’s hand pulled from his nose, blood dripping from his hand and onto the floor. The familiar smell filled his nose, pulling his other hand up to dab at it again. It had stopped bleeding for the most part after staining his other hand red, and he wiped the remaining blood from his nose with the palm of his hand. He let out a giggle as Seungwoo approached the boy who was still standing over the table.

“Woah, what happened?”

“He punched me,” Hyunjin smiled over at the boy, “I can’t believe he actually punched me.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’ve never been better.”

═════════════

Jisung was looking for his flannel again that weekend, Seungmin refusing to go with him to the party for the reason Jisung got drunk last time and he was bored out of his mind the first half of it. Jisung was going anyway because there was a person he was hoping to see.

The bus ride was quiet, him sitting by his lonesome with two other passengers gossiping toward the back. The bus slammed to a halt, the driver seemingly in a bad mood. Jisung got off the bus, opting to walk the rest of the way since the night was nice enough.

The familiar building that housed Felix and Chris came into view. The lights of the glass stairwell illuminated the building in a way that gave it life. It was a modern building, most of it being made of glass apart from the rooms themselves. He entered the building and climbed up the four flights of stairs that he was so used to. He stopped just before entering the hallway the boys lived in, the glass allowing for him to see the lights and emptiness of the campus. The stars shone lightly, the view peaceful. He could see across the street some fairy lights or LED’s were illuminating rooms of students that weren’t partying their life away.

He left his crowded thoughts in that stairwell, entering the hallway to hear the familiar music coming from his friend’s room. Honestly, he was surprised that they never got noise complaints, though to be fair he was also pretty sure half the international building joined in themselves.

The door was slightly open when he turned the corner to enter it.

“Yeah, I’ll see you in 304!” Jisung nearly ran into the chest in which the familiar voice came from. “Ah shit, sorry Ji, I didn’t see you there.”

“No, it's my bad. You guys leaving?” Jisung took in the sight of Minkyeung grasping onto Minho’s arm. She was wearing a sexier outfit, a sparkly black cocktail dress that hugged her curves perfectly, along with a pair of sleek heels and a black moto jacket. She looked beautiful as always, and she had an equally handsome man at her shoulder. He had a black jean jacket on, a white band tee underneath it, paired with leather pants and combat boots. His hair was parted perfectly, his lips seemed red likely from lipstick or a hardcore makeout session, and he had a visible hickey on his neck. Jisung didn’t have to ask if they were leaving, he knew they were.

“Yeah, I’ll catch you later!” Minho smiled at him as the pair moved around Jisung’s figure, Minkyeung dragging Minho down the hallway and down the stairs.

Jisung entered the party, but he no longer wanted to be there. He wandered the halls saying hello to all the familiar faces, but in the end, he just stole a juice box and left the dorm. He wandered his way down the stairwell, leaning against the railing to look out at the world below him. He felt like the world was in his hands, and yet his whole world was slipping out of reach. Jisung wasn’t one to cry on his own very often, usually crying during movies or shows instead of about his own life, but there were a few tears that fell regardless.

He walked very slowly back home, the lights Seungmin always had lit up the darkroom in purple. When Jisung closed the door behind him and kicked off his shoes, Seungmin had already taken off his headphones and looked over at the figure that he could hardly see.

“You’re back already? It's been less than an hour.”

Jisung nodded, peeling off his flannel, socks, and jeans and crawling into bed under the covers in his underwear and tee. 

“It was boring.”

Seungmin knew something was wrong. Jisung had never once came back from parties this early, and even if he did it wasn’t the same. Drunk Jisung was funny, he laughed and had a good time, dragging people to dance with him. Now, he seemed sad and distant, but really he didn’t know why. Jisung and him were close enough though if something was bothering him that much he would talk to Seungmin. Plus, he had his own worries.

It had been about a week since the incident and Seungmin ran into Hyunjin only once or twice, both of which Hyunjin didn’t see him and Seungmin retreated. After not seeing him for a week, Seungmin’s anxiety about seeing him heightened, as did the worry that the police would should up as his door. He dreaded going to work now, worried that Hyunjin would show up and he would be alone to beat up.

Seungmin shuddered at the thought and slammed his laptop closed. He just needed to sleep and pretend it didn’t happen. He knew that was easier said than done, but at least he could try.

═════════════

After the weekend was over, Seungmin pried himself from his bed as he did every morning. He was still worried Hyunjin was out for his head, but the money for tuition and food outweighed calling in sick.

Seungmin was lost in thought all morning, distracted by both Jisung and Hyunjin. Why was it the boys in his life were so complicated? Changbin was early when he arrived for work, a miracle that likely meant he had a reasonable amount of sleep the night before. Normally, Changbin made orders and Seungmin took them, but the older male could tell that Seungmin was somewhere else. 

“Good morning, what can I get for you today?” Seungmin registered Changbin’s familiar voice, which was returned by one just as familiar.

“A large, caramel macchiato, two shots of espresso, please.”

The mug Seungmin was holding to complete an order shattered as it hit the floor. The boiling hot liquid fell onto his pants as time felt like it was lagging behind. He glanced up to make eye contact with Hyunjin, who was ordering a drink, knowing that Seungmin was working, before time returned to normal. He winced and pulled off his apron, quite literally throwing it on the edge of the sink as he turned toward the back and pushed the door open. He quickly wet a cloth used for cleaning with water and placed it on his jeans. The pain had already gone away, though the coffee would likely stain. As he wondered if he had time to run back after work to change, Changbin opened the door to the back.

“You okay?” Seungmin nodded at the question. “That boy wants to talk to you, and I need you back on the floor, okay?”

Seungmin sighed and tossed the cloth in the laundry pile. The calf part of his jeans were soaking wet with water, mixed with coffee stains, but it had to do. He pushed the door open and placed his apron back on, tying it as he approached the delivery section of the counter, where Hyunjin was waiting.

“You wanted to talk to me?”

“You’ve been avoiding me.”

Seungmin looked at the man, half in disbelief. “Yeah? I punched you so hard you bled, I think it would make sense I would avoid you.”

Hyunjin replied with a hum of agreement, Changbin handing over his drink and pulling Seungmin back to work. It was insanely busy that morning, being Monday and all. When he had the time in between orders, Seungmin cleaned up the coffee and mug that he had dropped. 

He didn’t have time to change his pants, which in turn started giving him a rash from the wet clothes. He plopped himself into his chair in Literature next to Seojung, who was busy typing away at her computer.

“I had the worst morning of my life.”

“Yeah? What happened?” Seojung asked, an almost automated response as he wrote. Her filter was off when she wrote, which meant she wasn’t really paying attention, but Seungmin could vent.

“Work was awful and then Hyunjin showed up even though he knew I was working, which made me break a mug and spill coffee all over my jeans. Now I have stained, wet jeans and all he asked was why I was avoiding him!”

“Maybe he doesn’t want you to avoid him.”

Seungmin looked at the girl who was obviously not paying attention to anything he was saying. Whatever she thought was what she said and it wasn’t something that Seungmin even thought of.

“What?” He asked, being more confused than when he entered.

Seojun finally looked over at the boy, brushing some hair past her ear to officially greet the boy, “What?”

Seungmin shook his head, that was a ridiculous thought for Seojung to have. They were not friends and they never would be. Seungmin had punched Hyunjin, shoved money into his coffee, and held a grudge against him. Even if Hyunjin wanted to be friends, it was unrealistic.

Hyeri was missing from Photography, which left Seungmin bored out of his mind and distracted as hell. Jisung was lying in bed in the same position he was in when Seungmin woke up this morning. His hair was disheveled and he was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, which meant he never went to class.

“Ji, you know I never bug you, but why are you still here?”

“I don’t want to get up,” Jisung whined lightly, turning his head toward the wall and away from the approaching figure. Seungmin crosses his arms on the slightly lofted bed, laying his head on top of it.

“It's been three days, I know whatever this is it must be important, but I’m worried about you. You hardly get up and you’ve had like nothing to eat or drink. You better start spillin’ the beans.”

Jisung turned back over, peeking his head out from under his comforter.

“How do you know the difference between friendly love and like… not friendly love?”

Seungmin was taken aback for a moment, understanding that Jisung’s sadness was formed by lovesickness. He didn’t know who he was in love with, but it made it clear that Jisung didn’t know that he was in the first place. As his shock dissipated he thought more deeply about the question before he answered it.

“Well, I’ve never actually been in love, so I can’t be sure. But I think that friendly love is more like a sister or a brother, while love is more infectious. If you think about them all the time, worry about how they see you, or get jealous then it might be more than just friendly love.”

Jisung nodded, refusing to talk more about the topic even if Seungmin wanted to squeeze out more information. Seungmin left him lying in bed, a bit worried for him. Hopefully, he would go to class tomorrow.

He didn’t. For the rest of the week.

“Jisung for crying out loud you’ve been in bed for a week you need to get out!”

“I’ll get out when I’m dead.”

Seungmin sighed at the response of the boy. He had an idea though, and even if he didn’t work it was worth a shot. He pulled out his phone, pulling up the Beagle’s group chat.

**Seungshine:** Hey Hyeri, do you have Chris’s number???

 **Ri-ally smol:** Unfortunately yes...  
Ri-ally smol: Do you need it?

 **Seungshine:** Please- it's kind of an emergency  
Seungshine: Ji hasn’t left his bed for a week and im hoping the boys could lure him out

 **Seo cute:** That reminds me I haven’t eaten yet today aahahah

 **Ri-ally smol:** Chrispy Chicken: xxx-xxx-xxxx  
**Ri-ally smol:** oop sorry for the weird name  
**Ri-ally smol:** SEOJUNG

 **Seo cute:** im goin im goin

 **Seungshine:** Thank you!

**Seungmin:** Hey Chris it's Seungmin

 **Chris:** oh hey whats up

 **Seungmin:** Ji’s been in bed all week, can you try to get him out of bed? He needs friends

 **Chris:** on it, give me twenty

It almost seemed like it was rehearsed, a knock on the door exactly twenty minutes later. 

“It’s open!” Seungmin called from his bed.

The door practically came barreling in along with Chris. He was kind enough to close the door behind him, but that didn’t do much to stop the hurricane that had just entered their room. He tore the blanket off of Jisung and shook him awake from his nap.

“What do you want?! AH! How did you get in here?!”

Chris pointed to Seungmin, who just simply waved with a smile.

“The boys are going out! Boys night! Go get ready you’ve got thirty minutes!”

“I don’t want to, Chris.”

“Then I’ll carry you.” Chris immediately grabbed Jisung’s torso and hauled him over his shoulder. He turned him around in circles several times which made Jisung nauseous. 

“Fine! Just put me down!”

Jisung got ready as Chris pulled himself into the boy’s messy bed. He pulled out his phone and was playing a mobile game from as far as Seungmin could hear. Jisung was running the shower, though he took a bit longer in there than he normally did. When he came out he was dressed in jeans and a tee, throwing a hoodie on over that. His hair was towel-dried, but still quite damp and he retreated back into the bathroom after putting on his shoes. He quickly blow-dried the rest of his hair and brushed his teeth before heading out with Chris.

“So Seungmin forced you to take me out?” Jisung asked, following the older boy who was wearing a black hoodie down the stairwell.

“He didn’t force me, I love spending time with you. All he said was you needed a pick me up, and I definitely picked you up.”

“You practically made me vomit!” Jisung whined, catching up the few strides he was behind to punch Chris in the arm.

“Well, try not to vomit on the way to the bowling alley because that is exactly where we are going with Felix, Minho, and Changbin.”

Jisung nodded, half making note that Minho would be there. He was feeling something so confusing with him. He wanted to spend more time with him and if he missed the opportunity to, he felt awful. He had lied in bed for a week after the sight of a disheveled Minho with his girlfriend, leaving to do exactly what was expected. It wasn’t like Minho and Jisung were close enough for him to just text like “Hey do you want to come over and watch a movie or go grab food?”, and even if they were, Jisung didn’t have the guts. He wasn’t the kind of person to hang out one on one with people unless it was Seungmin.

The car ride was filled with very loud singing, Chris driving with Minho in the front, the other three boys squished in the back with Changbin in the middle, singing harmonies very poorly with Felix. Their hands were intertwined so gently, something that Jisung made note of. It had been a long time since he did that with anyone, and he wondered if maybe he was touch starved.

The boys crawled out of the car and entered the bowling alley just as the sun was setting. The alley had quite a few people, over half the lanes were full when the boys entered the alley. Chris was the one who was talking to the worker, saying that they needed a lane for five people, two games for now. Jisung was the first to say his shoe size and grab them, turning toward the lanes to search for lane 23.

He led the way, though that didn’t matter to him, as he was busy watching the balls roll down the lanes under the lights. Since it hadn’t completely been dark yet the lights were still up, with the blue lights only slightly illuminating the lanes themselves. He settled down into the table that had only four swirly chairs to sit in, pulling off his sneakers and tying the laces of the bowling shoes. Felix and Changbin were tying their laces too as Jisung stood up to check the tightness of his laces. He decided that they were suitable and began his search for a bowling ball. Minho and Chris were walking back with theirs as he looked for his. He never remembered the weight of the ball, but he always remembered it was an orange color.

He carried it back adding it to the rack with the other balls. He wasn’t sure who’s was which, but there were two purple ones, a blue, and a green that created a very beautiful picture in the lanes. They glowed lightly under the lights and in a weird way matched the glow tape that ran along the rack and edge of the lanes.

“Alright, who's going first?” Chris asked, standing up with his shoes tied to entered the information into the system.

“Ladies first, so Changbin and Jisung.” Minho laughed out which caused Jisung to punch his arm.

Jisung watched Chris type in the Changbin’s name followed by Jisung’s, then Felix, Minho, and himself last. Changbin got up grabbing a purple ball and lining himself up. Changbin had always been good at bowling, and his form very easily showed that, the ball rolling down the lane and smacking into the pins in a less than perfect 7. His next ball rolled into two pins, with the boys making fun of him for missing the last one.

It was all fun and games until Changbin’s turn was over and Jisung had to go next. He knew he was worse than Changbin at bowling but he picked up his ball and tried anyways. He rolled it down, only hitting four on his first ball followed by three the next. Jisung never planned on winning, though the snarky remarks didn’t make him feel too much better.

The game continued, Chris ordering wings and mozzarella sticks for all the boys to share. Felix had spilled some of his soda on the table while choking on a joke Minho had said, Minho and Chris in the lead with Jisung in last toward the end of the game. It all came down to the tenth frame, the boys pretty even. If Chris could get two strikes then he would win, if he couldn’t Minho would win.

He lined up at the line and bowled, hitting them all down perfectly, now it was up to the next. He only hit down 7, all he needed to do was hit down the rest with his final ball. He took a big breath and swung his arm down as he approached the lane. It let loose and all the boys, except for Minho, raised from their seats to watch the ball collide into the remaining pins. Chris jumped up and down in excitement and through Jisung’s laughter, he saw Minho’s face in the light. His eyes were wide, mouth ajar ever so slightly in disbelief that Chris was able to beat him.

“Fine, Mr. Professional Bowler, how about we do teams? Changlix versus Minsung versus Chris.” Minho suggested, arms crossed against his chest. Jisung looked over at the boy, who knew very well that he was not capable of being a good bowler.

“That’s a deal, loser of the three buys drinks for us tonight!”

Jisung looked over at Minho as Chris approached the system to change the name. The boys locked eyes, the look of worry spilling from Jisung’s eyes. Minho giggled a bit at him and pat his head with a smile, gently saying that it would be okay.

Chris went up first scoring well, as always, as Jisung and Minho strategized. Their plan went as follows, Jisung would bowl first, hitting as many as he could, and then Minho would follow to knock the rest down. As foolproof as it sounds, it was easier said than done. The first ball Jisung left Minho with a split that would be impossible to hit both down, and the second he did a similar thing. Minho was getting frustrated with Jisung’s bowling skills, but he still laughed and encouraged the younger boy regardless of how bad he was.

A voice flooded the intercom as Jisung got up to bowl for their fourth frame, “Ladies and gentleman, it has now reached 8 pm which means we will be lowering the lights for our glow in the dark bowling!”

The lights fell and the luminescence of the lanes filled the room. Blue and purples lit up the lanes, the blacklights causing socks and shirts to glow brightly. The balls’ colors increased in intensity as Jisung picked up his orange ball. He sighed lightly and focused on the game, rolling the ball down the lane followed by a skid and rolling the ball into the gutter.

He could feel his upset stirring lightly as he walked quickly back to his seat, brisking past Minho’s figure who had stood to bowl himself.

Minho grabbed his ball, purple, which somehow fit his personality in color. He held it to his chest, the colors of the lights causing a silhouette of him in Jisung’s eyes. He wore all black, nothing on his glowing like the rest of him, his feet placed like a ballerina as he prepared for his turn. He took a step, throwing the ball back with his arm only to lunge it forward toward the pins.

Jisung watched the pins fly, Minho clapped as he turned around with a small smirk on his face. He pushed his hair back as Jisung watched his figure. In the lights he looked amazing, his skin glowing under the lights a honey color, his shirt loose, but hugging ever so softly to his curves, his jeans tight around his thighs. Jisung’s mouth opened slightly as his mind wandered at the sight of Minho. It was broken when Minho’s arm wrapped around Jisung as he sat back down, a giggle coming out as Chris pouted in the background.

What had just happened? Jisung’s night felt like a fever dream. He hardly remembered bowling, eating, even the car ride back where Minho’s arm wrapped around the boy who was sat between him and Chris. He didn’t remember than Changlix lost bowling, or the fact that Chris and Minho only let him have juice instead of alcohol for his “drink”.

He stumbled his way into the dorm room, vision slightly blurry as his mind raced, trying to piece together everything. He heard the sound of running water as the door to the dorm opened, Seungmin obviously doing dishes.

Seungmin turned toward the door, the blonde standing in the frame with the doorknob held tightly. He pulled his hands out of the sink, drying them lightly as Jisung’s fluttered toward the ground.

“Are you okay, Ji?”

“I think I’m in love with Minho.” Jisung blurted out, letting go of the door for it to slowly creak closed. “This doesn’t make any sense Seungmin.” 

He looked up at Seungmin, tears welling in his eyes. Seungmin pulled him into a hug, Jisung pulling him back to nuzzle his head into the other’s chest.

“Wh-why doesn't this make sense? Ji, why are you crying?”

“I like girls!” Jisung cried lightly, his sobs causing Seungmin to rub his back as the two stood in the kitchen.

This was his karma. Seungmin never got anything back for punching Hyunjin, at least not personally. Instead, he received an identity crisis in the form of his best friend, crying into his shoulder in the wee hours of the night about a boy that would never love him back. Jisung might have figured out he wasn’t completely straight, but he knew very well that Minho was infatuated with women, and there was no possible way Jisung had a chance.

What awful consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Normally I would put some cute stuff about the chapter here, but I think that its more important that I give you an update. I believe it has been two weeks since the last chapter upload and I am going to utilize this space to give you an explanation (aka excuses).
> 
> I've suffered insane writers and creative blocks in my life due to a variety of situations. My significant other and I got into a heavy argument only a few weeks before his departure for the military, this pandemic causing me to have to work from home even though I am awful at keeping schedules, and because of those of these things my mental health has taken an awful toll. I haven't touched this work in weeks, regardless of the fact I was dying to finish this chapter and continue writing. I have an awful habit of starting works and never finishing them, but in this case I genuinely have not forgot about this story nor you. Please forgive if the updates are not regular as in Saturday at 12pm MST. I will try to update and post as I can and will post as I write to hopefully make up for the missing weeks. If you want updates as they come please follow me on Instagram @chanberry__ and I hope you all have a not boring quarantine!


	8. Cyclone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.
> 
> Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_   
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_   
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_

“Jisung, go take a shower and get ready for bed, okay?” Seungmin pulled the boy slightly away from him. He pulled his long sleeve down to cover his hand and gently wiped the many tears that had stained Jisung’s cheeks. “I’ll finish these dishes and we can go to bed.”

Jisung sniffled, using his own sleeve to wipe his nose. He nodded and wandered off to the bathroom, the sound of running water filling the dorm. Seungmin lifted his sleeves back up, diving his hands into the soapy water to wash the last of the pots and pans. Seungmin was humming to himself as he dried the dishes, pulling out the stopper to let the water drain from the sink. Jisung came out with a towel wrapped around his waist, hair sopping wet. 

Seungmin glanced over his shoulder as Jisung walked to his dresser, fumbling through the drawers with one hand to grab a pair of plaid pajama pants and underwear. Seungmin put the dishes away and quickly changed as Jisung climbed into his bed. The covers were warm and inviting for the boy, but it didn’t stop all the emotions he was feeling.

The lights dimmed, Seungmin’s purple illuminating the room just enough to see where he was going. Seungmin’s pajamas were warm against his skin, but he didn’t think too much of it. Instead, he approached Jisung’s bed, the other boy staring at the ceiling in thought.

“Can I join you?” Seungmin’s voice broke the silence. Jisung blinked a few times, glancing over at the boy. He let out a sigh and a little nod before scooting over to the wall, giving just enough space for both bodies to fit on the twin-sized bed.

“Jisung, why are you crying? Normally, I don’t pester you, but I can’t just let you cry yourself to sleep.” Seungmin’s arm wrapped slightly around Jisung, pulling him into his chest. Jisung’s arm wrapped around his waist lightly, taking a minute before replying.

“I thought my entire life I liked girls. I mean, I still do! I’m not completely gay… at least, I don’t think I am. It just, how do you cope with a new feeling you’ve never experienced? I’ve been in love before, I’ve only dated girls, but I guess I didn’t know myself as well as I thought I did.”

Seungmin’s open hand moved to Jisung’s hair, brushing through it lightly, “It’s okay to not know. I know how hard it is to accept your sexuality. I was told all my life it was a sin to be gay, it was all I was taught, and, even though I’ve never dated a boy, I couldn’t ignore that I liked them.”

“You never told me you were gay…” Jisung whispered lightly, a few tears falling from his face from all the emotions he was feeling.

“It wasn’t a secret, I just am never sure who I can trust to tell. In high school, I was bullied heavily for my sexuality. Soon after I figured myself out I couldn’t help but be happy and express my sexuality, but that caused me a lot of problems. The world isn’t perfect and people judge same-sex couples a lot, even if there is pride and work towards equality, so I don’t tell anybody.”

“Should I not tell anybody?” Jisung asked, moving a hand to wipe some tears.

“Don’t take my way as the only way, Ji. There are so many people here that love you and would accept you regardless of your preference. All of your friends accept Changbin and Felix, right?” Jisung let out a nod, “Then they would accept you too.”

“What do I do about Minho?”

“I think if you’re comfortable to tell him you like boys you can, what would stop you?”

Jisung let out a little giggle, “No, I mean about liking him.”

“Oh! Hmm… I don’t know Minho that well so I’m not sure. Does he like boys?”

Jisung’s head shook lightly, “He has a girlfriend. A very pretty one at that.”

“That poses a big problem,” Seungmin sighed, running a hand through his own hair, “Whatever you do, don’t try to break them up. Let their relationship take its course, okay? If anything, just try getting closer to him in friendship.”

Jisung nodded lightly, slowly falling asleep after their talk. He knew that things wouldn’t be easy, but at least he had the comfort of Seungmin. Somebody else understood him, and for now, that was all he needed.

═════════════

Everyone shoved their laptops into their bags, zippers flying with students rushing from the room. Seungmin and Hyeri always took their time, it was never worth trying to shove through the crowd, plus Seojung had 15 minutes left of her own class before they could all meet up at the cafe.

“You look like you’re thinking about something,” Hyeri said, nudging Seungmin on their way to the cafe, the breeze running through her hair.

“Hmm? Oh yeah, I guess I am.” Hyeri looked at the boy, obvious she wanted him to explain, “My roommate recently found out that he might be bisexual and I want to help him, but I’m not quite sure how.”

“Did you tell him you were gay?” Seungmin nodded lightly and opened his mouth to talk but let Hyeri finish, “Then I think you started well. What did you do to cope when you came out?”

“Honestly, I can hardly remember,” Seungmin admitted. “After everything happened I just tried to block it all out. I mean, all my friends back home supported me, but my peers didn’t so it was hard for me.”

The bell of the door jingled as they entered the cafe. Seungmin worked that morning like always, but it was different when he came just to hang out. The scents pleased him, and although it was always busy around this time with people grabbing something light for lunch, it was calm. They sat down at the table Seojung was already waiting at, the girls sitting across from one another, with Seungmin next to Hyeri. The two pulled out their laptops as Seojung took a sip of her coffee, lifting her head from her book to scan the two.

“Hyeri had a good day, Seungmin has something that’s bothering him. Spill.”

“Hello to you too?” Seungmin half whined at the dark-haired girl, typing in the password to his laptop before meeting eyes with the girl. “My roommate recently came out to me and I don’t know how to help him even though when I came out it was awful and I somehow still managed.”

“How’d you make it less awful?” Seojung asked, practically ignoring the fact Seungmin just admitted he liked boys to her.

“I don’t remember what I did exactly, all I remember was my friends helped me through it.”

“Why don’t you just ask them?”

Seungmin hadn’t considered that, though it seemed like the most sensible option. Obviously, they helped him, so they must know how he can help Jisung.

“Seungmin, do you know what you’re going to do for the new photo assignment?”

It clicked for him then. He would go home that weekend. He didn’t want to leave Jisung alone in the dorm, so he would have to figure something else out, but he needed to go home. He needed to vent to Jeongin and tell him everything about Hyunjin and Jisung, talk to his friend group about how to help, and take pictures on the beach. He longed for the sunset, and if he needed anything right then, it was Jeongin, the beach, and the setting sun.

“I’m going home tomorrow to take pictures of the beach and talk to my best friend. I need to figure out so much, and home always makes me feel better.”

Seungmin pulled out his phone. He didn’t know what he would do with Jisung, but if anybody could figure it out, it would be Chris.

**Seungmin:** Hey can I ask you a favor?

 **Chris:** Is this another Jisung thing?

 **Seungmin:** Yeah I’m going home this weekend and I don’t want to leave him in the dorm by himself. He’ll be okay, but I’m still worried about him.

 **Chris:** When are you leaving?

 **Seungmin:** Tomorrow, probably 4

 **Chris:** I’ll come at 3:45 !

After finishing homework up with the girls at the cafe, Seungmin went home. It was getting late, and he knew that since he worked Fridays from 6:30 am to 2:30 pm he would need to pack that night. When the door pushed open the lights were off. Seungmin flipped on the kitchen lights and walked into the main room to throw his back on his bed.

Jisung was watching a kdrama, his earbuds in. He hit the spacebar, pausing it, and pulled out his earbuds as he saw Seungmin turn toward him to say something.

“Hey, I’m going home this weekend, but I don’t just want to leave you here after everything, so I asked Chris if you could spend the night there. It’s only for two days so I hope that’s okay.”

Jisung nodded his head, putting in one of his earbuds, “Yeah, it’s probably better for me. I thought about what you said and I wanted to talk to him anyway.”

Seungmin smiled at the boy who smiled back. He pulled out his black suitcase and unzipped it. He figured he wouldn’t need a list to pack, but he made a small one anyway, just so he wouldn’t forget anything. Clothes, Hygiene, Cameras, Laptop, Chargers, and sandals. For the beach. Packing felt like it took forever, but it really didn’t. He fit everything he needed in his suitcase and backpack with ease, a hoodie thrown on top of it in case it snowed. It hadn’t snowed in the last two weeks and it had been warming up, but if it got too cold he would at least be prepared. After triple-checking his list and going through everything he owned, he got ready for bed and fell asleep after his long day.

His alarm woke him up and his shift was long and boring as usual. It felt slower the more anxious he felt about his trip. He just needed home, he needed dad’s soup, mom’s brownies, Jeongin’s hugs and walks along the beach. As soon as he clocked out he rushed to the convenience store that was so familiar to him. 

He sent a text to Jisung, asking if he wanted anything before he streamlined for the ramen at the back of the store. It was a larger bowl, big enough for lunch, that he often paired with sausage, stringed cheese, and an apple for just under five dollars. His phone dinged as he looked through the fruit, trying to pick the juiciest red apple he could find. He picked the apple, made note of Jisung’s snack request of hot fries, strawberry pocky, mochi, and a coke, before going to the register. He swiped his card, taking a bite of his apple while taking the bag and receipt with his free hand to walk home.

It was breezy, spring definitely nearing. There was snow on the ground, still sparkling lightly under the sun. Seungmin ate his apple, the crunches matching with the steps he made toward the dorm. He finished his apple as he entered his room, tossing the core and placing his plastic bag on the counter of the kitchen. He pulled the snacks he bought for Jisung and tossed them on the boy’s bed, who was so happy to have the snacks.

“Don’t eat all of it right now, Ji. Save some for Felix and Chris, okay?”

“I won’t open anything other than the coke until I go over!” Jisung replied, a gummy smile not matching the salute he gave to Seungmin.

Seungmin heated up his noodles, cheese, and sausage in the microwave, sitting on his bed and eating them, staring over at Jisung, who was packing his things to go to Chris’s.

“I’m worried about you, Jisung,” Seungmin blurted out, causing the blonde to turn over his shoulder to look at him.

“I know, Minnie. Don’t worry, okay? I won’t be home alone and Chris is so much of a dad that he won’t let me skip meals or sleep too long. Plus, you’re right Minnie, that I have friends that care for me…” Jisung’s voice lowered slightly, a small smile crossing his face. The smile was bittersweet, almost like he was reminding himself of it rather than actually believing. 

“Will you at least call me if something happens?” Seungmin asked, pouting over at the other boy. He felt guilty for leaving, but he had his own issues to sort.

“I’ll text you.”

There was a knock on the door, Jisung quickly asking Seungmin to grab it. Seungmin hopped down from the bed, knowing it was Chris and chewing his final bite of noodles. He opened the door on the way, mumbling something of a “Come in”, before tossing the plastic bowl in the garbage.

Jisung was shoving his toiletries into his duffle bag to bring for the weekend when Chris approached.

“Are you both ready?”

“As ready as I can be,” Jisung half giggled, zipping his bag and shoving it over the shoulder.

“Ready enough to take the train home,” Seungmin sighed, pulling his backpack on and pulling the handle up on his suitcase.

“Are you walking to the station?” Chris asked, a nod returning from the boy, “Let me bring you then. It's a far walk and you’ve got your stuff.”

Normally Seungmin would protest, that he could go just fine on his own and that it wasn’t a big deal, but he knew that the less he walked the more energy he would have when he arrived. He needed the ride, and he wasn’t about to fight Chris on it. The freshman followed the older male to his car, Jisung climbing into the passenger seat with his bag on his lap and Seungmin in the back with his on the seat next to him.

The ride was short, seemingly nothing to the two-hour train ride he was about to depart on. He pulled out his belongings and thanked Chris for taking him, lightly waving as the call pulled out of the taxi lane next to the train station. Seungmin approached the desk and bought his ticket, walking down the stairs to the lower floor and finding his section to wait for the next train.

It was only a few minutes of waiting, and there weren’t many others at his stop. It was easier to take the subway than the train in Seoul, and normally people came in, not out. He put his stuff in the overhead, leaving out just his headphones, laptop, and phone. There was only an older woman and a few businessmen in his car, none of which were anywhere near him.

As the train took off he pulled out his laptop, setting it on the tray that was connected to the back of the chair in front of him. He opened it, the familiar shot of the beach back home as his background. He smiled fondly, typing in his password and pulling up the photos of Jisung he hadn’t yet edited. The shoot at the arcade had been over two weeks ago now, and with everything going on he had only edited a few stills to actually submit for his assignment. Jisung had yet to see them, and it was the least Seungmin could do for him.

_“I went to that party so pleaaaase come do this shoot with me!” Seungmin whined, tugging on Jisung’s red flannel as he tried to climb back into bed._

__

__

_“I hate my photo being taken! I haven’t posted on my Instagram since high school!”_

__

__

_“You act like that was years ago when it was like half a year ago! Come onnnn, it’s at the arcade! I’m basically paying you to have fun!”_

__

__

_“You’re paying me?” Jisung’s head whipped around and grinned at the shorter boy thanks to the height of the bed._

__

__

_Seungmin rolled his eyes and let go of the flannel, obviously getting Jisung’s attention for once. “That wasn’t what I meant. I meant that I would pay for the games you played. Come on, I need it for an assignment and it’ll only be an hour, pleaaaaaa-”_

__

__

_“Fine! Get your stuff ready, when I put my shoes on we leave,” Jisung pouted._

__

__

_Seungmin scurried around pulling out his camera, double-checking it was charged, but bringing a spare battery pack just in case. He hooked on the camera strap and pulled it over his head, his backpack with lenses and equipment slugged over his shoulder just in time._

__

__

_Seungmin led the way to the arcade, though it looked way different during the day than at night with Hyeri. When they walked in it looked all the same. The lights caused blues, purples, reds, the whole rainbow to surround the boys together. Jisung’s skin glowed under the light, his blonde hair reflecting some of the warm light around them. Seungmin pulled out a roll of quarters and ushered Jisung in, following him until he settled on a game._

__

__

_He had chosen a game where the light goes around in a circle, pressing the button on a specific dot on the circle won you tickets. Jisung’s eyes dilated, focusing heavily on the light that spun around in circles. Timing had to be just perfect._

__

__

_Seungmin’s camera turned on, being pulled to his face. He squinted his left eye as he fixed the ISO settings to better fit the dim lighting within the arcade. The lights reflected ever so slightly on the whites of Jisung’s eyes, a small detail only Seungmin would’ve noticed. He took about twenty stills as Jisung played, a small smirk crossing the blonde’s face as he felt the presence of Seungmin at his side._

__

__

_Jisung sighed and tilted his head, giggling in frustration, “Why can’t I just hit it? I think this game is rigged.”_

__

__

_“Choose another one then, we’ve got as long as you aren’t bored.”_

__

__

_Jisung turned and looked around, deciding on a Pacman game. He went over and slid in two quarters, immediately starting to play. Seungmin stood from behind him, getting a silhouette of the boy and the game behind him. The lighting wasn’t amazing but pictures were pictures nonetheless and he could always edit them._

__

__

_Seungmin ushered Jisung toward the skeeball machines in the corner next to them as soon as he died in Pacman. It was a pair of two, themed red and blue. The sides were illuminated, as were the pockets, and Seungmin wanted the same silhouette here. Jisung played, his flannel moving ever so gracefully as the balls flew into the pockets. His body was darker compared to the lights, but you could still see his strawberry-blonde hair and red flannel._

__

__

_When he finished a few games there Jisung pointed toward the pinball machines. With the flashing lights beckoning the pair, then wandered that way. Jisung played one of each, Seungmin taking pictures of his gummy smile as he won and got bonus points._

__

__

_The final game Jisung played was Dance Dance Revolution. The game had its own little box with lights and everything. Jisung was a good dancer, he had always been, and seeing him dance made Seungmin smile. He took the pictures as Jisung half goofed around while playing. He missed so many steps from fake twerking and pretending to be a hip-hop dancer that by the end of the song neither Jisung nor Seungmin could breathe._

__

__

_Seungmin was sure none of the photos during that game were clear or concise, he would have to delete almost all of them, but he did get a few shots of Jisung that he adored. Jisung was smiling from ear to ear, his eyes forming into crescent moons as he giggled. The lights illuminated him both from the front and back, causing him to glow every color of the rainbow._

__

__

_That was how Seungmin felt. Happy in his skin, even through the darkness._

That’s how Jisung would come to understand soon.

Seungmin pulled through the photos, deleting over half of them due to blurriness or light contrasts that drowned Jisung out. He chose the perfect stills to edit and keep, those being three of Jisung smiling, two of Dance Dance Revolution, five of pinball, one of Pacman, two of skeeball, and three of Cyclone.

For his project, he had already edited two stills, one of Cyclone and the other a gummy smile. The other fourteen would take a bit, needing to smooth out some skin that had acne scarring or unevenness, fix the lights and contrast to be more bright, and adding any extra flare. It would likely take only an hour to do, so Seungmin started, playing music from his phone and putting on his headphones to focus.

The photos of Jisung from behind were easy to edit, but the DDR and smile ones took him the longest to do. Seungmin stared for all too long at Jisung in these photos. He was so happy here and just yesterday he was struggling with everything he knew he was. Seungmin could only hope for this giggly, bright-eyed Jisung to come back.

The train pulled into its third stop just as Seungmin finished his last photo of Jisung. He shoved his laptop into its case, putting it in his backpack and putting it on his seat as he got up. He wandered down the car toward the front. Normally he wouldn’t go to the bathroom on the train, but he didn’t even consider going at the dorm before he left. The train began moving as soon as he stepped foot out from the bathroom, freshly washed hands that slightly damp feeling.

“Young man?”

Seungmin turned to his right, meeting eyes with the older lady that he had made note of before they departed from Seoul. She held out a shaky hand, offering a piece of orange to him. Seungmin let out a sigh followed by an enormous smile, taking the orange offering.

“Thank you, ma’am. Might I ask where you are heading?” Seungmin asked, bringing the orange to his chest, waiting for a moment before eating the slice.

“I’m going to Busan. I came to visit my granddaughter for her birthday.” The woman smiled back fondly.

“I’m also going to Busan. Would you mind if I moved seats to sit with you?”

The woman smiled and nodded, “I would like that very much.”

Seungmin bit into the citrus as he walked back to his seat. It was sweet and tangy, a perfectly ripe orange. He held the rind in his hand, grabbing his backpack and suitcase to move down the aisle. He put them away as soon as he got to his seat, knowing that if he stood too long a worker would come and ask him to sit. He put his backpack under his chair, the woman taking back the rind of the orange and offering another slice.

“Why is a young boy like you going to Busan?” The woman asked, Seungmin finishing his bite before answering.

“It’s my home. I go to Hyunkook University in Seoul. I transferred to a high school in Seoul and lived with my aunt my senior year to see if I liked it, and it was wonderful.”

“If you love it so much then why do you talk so solemnly about it?”

“There’s too much going on. I feel like my brain is Jello with all the stress. I just need time on the beach and with my family and best friend.”

“What’s your name, young man?”

“Seungmin.”

“Well, Seungmin. I’ve lived for many many years, and I know that when stress gets you down the only thing to do is overcome. You will manage, I’m sure of it. A sweet, kind-hearted boy like you deserves happiness in the world and if you have yet to find it, you will find it soon.”

The train came to a stop, the city name of Busan flashing on the monitor to indicate the two had to get off. Seungmin planned on giving the woman a hug before she left, or offering to assist her with her bags, but she was gone by the time he grabbed his suitcase from the overhead.

He left the train with his backpack on his shoulder and suitcase dragging behind. In Seoul, it would be easy to walk or take the bus to a close enough spot to campus, but in Busan, he needed a taxi to get home. He pulled out his phone, dialing the number of a family-run taxi service that his parents were friends with, and ordered a cab to the station.

The car was familiar to Seungmin, it was a red car, the number and logo printed on the sign. A girl Seungmin’s age peeked her head out the window and smiled. Seungmin smiled back with ease. Areum, a year older than Seungmin, who was still in Busan now attending a community college. Seungmin and her had been friends thanks to his parents since middle school. She had straight long black hair, had wide brown eyes, and could often be seen wearing her favorite red lipstick.

“Hop in!”

Seungmin threw his bags in the back seat, climbing into the front seat with her, “Are you making me pay?”

“Depends on how good of a passenger you’ll be,” She joked, laughing as she pulled out onto the street and towards home.

“So what are you doing back without notice?”

“There’s so much going on… and I would tell you everything, but you know the rules-”

“Gotta tell Jeongin first,” the pair recited in unison, bursting out into laughter afterward.

“I’m assuming you’ll talk to him tonight, so we’ll have to get the group together tomorrow before you go back, okay?” She said, her black hair rushing in the wind with the windows down. Here, Areum reminded him of Seojung. The car came to a halt in front of Seungmin’s house, “For now, go home.”

Seungmin leaned over and gave Areum a tight hug before getting his things from the car. He approached the door, knocking lightly despite having his house key in his pocket. His mother opened, arms immediately pulling him into a deep hug.

“Welcome home Seungmin, come get some soup.”


	9. Sunset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.
> 
> Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_   
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_   
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_

“Dad made soup for dinner?” Seungmin asked, wide-eyed as he stepped into the house, the smell of his spicy beef soup greeting him. “I didn’t tell you that I was coming, how did you know?”

“We didn’t, we’ve just been missing you.” Seungmin sighed, a smile crossing his face. He was so happy to be home, with his mom and dad, with his room, with- god, that smells amazing.

“Go put your stuff away, I’ll call Jeongin over for dinner,” Seungmin’s mother spoke as she walked to the house phone, dialing the common guest in their household.

Seungmin pulled his suitcase and backpack up the stairs with a bit of trouble, seeing as the stairway was tight. He passes his older sister’s room, stopping for a minute in the hallway to look at it. Her name was still on the door with painted wooden letters, Seomin, the door closed as it always was. Seungmin opened it to see it was the same as when he left. The curtains hung above the window were navy, the walls painted white, excluding a teal accent wall with a pattern of white. Her walls were decorated like an office, lots of shelves with books and potted plants, in which his mother obviously still watered. Her bed was made, grey sheets with blue accent pillows. Even if it was familiar, it still felt empty. She had moved out Seungmin’s Sophomore year of high school to attend University in America. Now she was a Senior studying Interior Design, she’s worked with several model homes, and even was featured in magazines.

Seungmin shut the door. He missed her more than his high school self would like to admit. She didn’t come home very often, only once for Christmas and once for New Years, but with a schedule like hers, it's not like he could blame her. 

He passed the laundry room and the hallway closet, down the hallway to the right. His room had matching wooden letters from his sister, left unpainted but stained to bring out a deep grey color from the wood. He opened his door, pulling in his suitcase behind him as he flipped the light switch on.

The ceiling fan began to spin in the new lighting of the room. His room, although plainer in color, felt perfectly like home. His walls were painted a light grey color, his bed had grey and white sheets, white pillows with a dark purple throw blanket and an accent pillow. Seomin had helped him design his room just before she left, but he loved every minute he spent in it. He had a floating wall shelf, painted the same purple color, that housed a few potted plants and his lucky cat. Hanging from the shelf were crystals that created rainbows across the walls when the sunlight hit them. His photography and prints scattered the walls, along with the medals or certificates he had won during high school festivals. His favorite wall though, was the one with the shelf. His desk was nestled under it, but he had hundreds of polaroids of friends and family hung on the same lights he had in his dorm. Sure, he could have brought more photos than he has currently, but he wanted to keep his room as intact as possible.

The doorbell rang and Seungmin was snapped from the trance of his room. He practically leaped over his stuff, smacking the light switch and he clumsily stumbled down the hallway and to the front door.

“I got it!” He called, seeing his mom go from setting up the dinner table to answer it.

The door flung open, and despite wanting to crush Jeongin in a hug, the younger had beat him to it. Seungmin fell to the ground, door wide open behind the boys.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?!” Jeongin half yelled, shaking Seungmin beneath him.

“It was a surprise! Ahhhh! Your knees are so boney, get off!”

Jeongin stood up on his feet, smiling ear to ear as he offered a hand to Seungmin. Seungmin glared at the other, taking his hand and standing up. 

“Boys, close the door and sit down for dinner!” 

The two boys exchanged a look, Jeongin very slyly closing the door behind him before following the now calm Seungmin into the kitchen. The two boys sat down next to each other across from Seungmin’s parents. Normally the boys would serve themselves, but when Seungmin came home from Seoul they always got plates for everyone instead.

The soup was placed in front of the boys, stars in both of their eyes. It was hard not to love dad’s soup, especially when it was spicy beef. They couldn’t dig into it just yet, though. Prayer was always first in the Kim household. The four of them joined hands, Seungmin being the last to close his eyes and bow his head as his father spoke.

“Our Father in heaven, we are so grateful for this blessed day we have been given, with the wonderful opportunities we have. We ask you to bless this food in front of us, allowing it to become healthy and strong, and we ask for your blessing in our lives to do good and be kind. Amen.”

“Amen,” the remaining three said in chorus before digging into their meals.

The two boys finished their first and second servings of soup in record time, asking to be excused from the table. When Seungmin’s mother agreed they quickly cleaned their dishes and left them in the sink before changing quickly to go to the beach. Seungmin threw on his grey hoodie, grabbing his sandals to wear. Jeongin was wearing a simple tee, a black jacket on over it, and was wearing converse. He was too lazy to go home to get sandals, so he decided to just take them off when they got there. Seungmin grabbed his camera, which was fully charged, and the two left out the back door.

They both ran down the dirt path, pushing past overgrown tree branches and stomping over bushes until they reached the other side. The beach was more beautiful than Seungmin remembered, though the sea had always called to him. Seungmin walked down to the large rock that sat just a few feet from the shore. It was high tide, but even then the water never quite reached the perch the boys spent the most time on. Seungmin left his shoes next to the rock and wandered down to the water. He pulled out his camera to take photos as Jeongin took off his own shoes to join him. 

Seungmin took pictures of the seashells that washed up on the sand, the bubbling waves as they rolled in, the waves that crashed in the distance. 

“So why did you come home?” 

The voice startled Seungmin, causing him to jump slightly as he turned toward Jeongin. “There is so much to tell, I don’t even know where to start.”

“Uhh, preferably the beginning?”

Seungmin rolled his eyes and wandered back to the rock perch, sitting himself on it to watch the sunset. Jeongin followed quickly behind.

“Must be serious if you’re acting like this… I haven’t seen you like this since high school.”

“Well, I guess I’ll start with Hyunjin.”

“Hyunjin?”

Seungmin waved his hand, “You’ll know who he is by the end of this story, don’t you worry. Anyways, the university cafe is doing renovations and moving so we’ve had an influx of customers at the cafe, which I didn’t really mind as long as I was being paid. Hyunjin came in a bit into the semester, like, right after we opened and he came for a while at the same time. I started making his drink in advance because he always ordered the same thing but he was just kind of snobby and rude? He hardly said a word to me and was always just so… I don’t know how to describe it. So I run late one day and he’s waiting outside so I offer his drink for free. It was the only day he stayed in the cafe to have his coffee and he had two coffees and I thought he had left me a $20 in pity money because I called him rude and he thought I was being an ass, but no! The next day he came in and I asked him how he was paying and he was like ‘the twenty I gave you’ and I got so mad I shoved the twenty in his coffee.”

“That’s pretty metal of you.”

“That’s just the _beginning_. Then for a photography assignment, I needed to bring a friend, so I invited Jisung, but he had an emergency conflict so he couldn’t make it. My partner, her names Hyeri and we’re kind of besties now-”

“Besties?”

“Not any bestier than you, don’t you worry. Anyways, she invited Hyunjin as the backup person and we started off being mean to each other but at the end, we both kinda softened up. He was a great model and we had to work together to get the shots. Jisung forced me to go to a party and Hyunjin stopped to talk to me, and even complimented my modeling skills for being a photographer.”

“I have a thought, but I’ll save it for the end of the story.”

Seungmin nodded as he continued, “Everything was kind of fine after that for a while. Oh between the shoot and the party Hyunjin had gotten sick and I gave him my homebrew for being sick, yanno the one? That doesn’t really matter though. Hyeri had opened up to me about her double eyelid surgery and how she got teased for it so shes self-conscious and I told her about being gay, which is kind of how we got so close. But we went to grab food and Hyeri’s brother and Hyunjin came in, because their best friends, and Hyunjin made a comment about her eyes and I got so mad I punched him!”

“You punched him?!” Seungmin’s head nodded as Jeongin continued, “Isn’t that like, illegal?!”

“Probably! The last time I saw him he had come into the cafe to talk to me and all he asked was why I was avoiding him. Obviously, it was because I made his nose bleed when I punched him but now I don’t know what to do. I feel like I’m walking on thin ice.”

“The more you talk the more I feel like my thought is accurate.” Seungmin turned his head toward Jeongin, who had glanced over with a smirk, showing his glasses, “You like each other.”

“What?!” Seungmin yelled, straightening his back. That was impossible. He couldn't like somebody _like_ Hyunjin, that’s pure ridiculousness. “Speaking of liking boys - I don’t like Hyunjin by the way, that’s disgusting - I need your help with something else too.”

“I think you do, but whatever.”

Seungmin rolled his eyes and nudged Jeongin rough, but lovingly, “My roommate thinks that he’s bisexual and is really struggling with accepting that. I want to help him, but I don’t really know how.”

“I remember you really struggled too,” Jeongin said softly, staring at the sun that had almost fallen beneath the line of the ocean, “It was especially hard for you being religious and everything. I remember you cried a lot trying to accept that you could be gay and a Christian and God wouldn’t love you any less.

Seungmin nodded lightly, thinking back on that moment. He was so worried to come out to his parents in fear of disownment. He didn’t want to be kicked out of the house and it wasn’t likely they would approve because being gay is a sin. Obviously, none of that happened and they accepted and supported him all the same, but it was still a terrifying experience.

“It's getting dark so we should go back. I didn’t give much help, but I’m not good for boy troubles anyways. Plus, Areum texted the group chat saying we were getting brunch tomorrow, and we all know that Yejin gives the best advice.”

“Yeah, you’re right. What would we do without her?”

═════════════

“We’re home!” Chris called into the familiar apartment. Jisung didn’t know if he had ever seen it this clean, but it definitely was still the same.

“Sungieeeeeee!” Felix called from the living room, “Come look at what I did!”

Jisung and Chris pulled off their shoes and put them in the doorway, Jisung pulling his duffle bag off his shoulder to place wherever he decided was ideal as they walked into the living room.

The couch had been taken apart practically, and yet it was perfect. The cushions were rearranged to make a little nest, the comforters and pillows taken off of both Chris and Felix’s bed along with the throw blankets to make it cozy. By the television there was a stack of movies, appearing to be The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and plenty of Disney. There were two bowls in the middle of the nest, one with popcorn and the other with a mix of hot fries, gummy bears, and other movie snacks, along with bottles of soda to drink.

“Did you do all of this for me?” Jisung asked, placing his duffle bag behind the couch so nobody would trip on it.

“Of course! Chris told me you were coming over because you weren’t feeling well and this is what my friends and I do when somethings going on.” Felix smiled, grabbing Jisung’s hand and pulling him into the nest, “It's mad comfy so try not to fall asleep too early.”

“Will do,” Jisung laughed as Chris joined them, pulling a pillow in his lap.

“Well, all that’s left to do is pick a movie. Ji, will you do the honors?”

“Let’s start with something a bit softer, Tangled!”

Felix got up and pushed in the DVD, pressing play and skipping through the previews until the movie started. The three of them sang the first song together before Felix broke the ice.

“So Ji, can I ask what’s been going on?”

“Yeah, I’m curious too. The first time Seungmin texted me you hadn’t left your bed in a week so I forced you to come bowling with us, and now he’s worried you won’t take care of yourself while he’s gone. Are you okay?” Chris asked, turning towards the boy who had obviously flushed cheeks.

Jisung played with the ring on his finger, taking a large gulp before starting his sentence, “Well… I don’t quite know how to start.”

“You can take it slow, it's okay. We don’t want to pressure you or anything,” Felix added, looking back and forth between the two boys in worry.

“I just…” Jisung looked around the room, avoiding eye contact and sighing deeply, “I think… that I might like boys.”

Felix and Chris looked at each other with wide eyes as Jisung fell backward into the cushion of the nest, a pillow over his face to muffle a whine.

“So you think you’re gay?” Chris asked softly, placing a hand on Jisung’s leg to comfort him.

Jisung flipped the pillow to his lap and stared at the ceiling, “No, more like… bisexual or something. I don’t know, I’m just so confused.”

“What are you confused about, Ji?” Felix asked, lying down with the boy and trying not to knock the popcorn over with his feet.

“Everything. How this is possible. Maybe I’m not after all and I just think I am. How do you know if you like somebody romantically? I’ve only liked girls so is it any different with boys…?”

“Do you like this person the way you’ve liked past girls?” Chris asked, joining them on the floor.

“Maybe? I-I think so? Even if I did, it wouldn’t matter.”

“Why not?” Felix asked.

“Minho has a girlfriend.”

Jisung and blurted the words out faster than he realized he could. Both Felix and Chris sat up in surprise to look at Jisung, then at each other. This wasn’t good and Jisung knew that. His face flushed a bright shade of pink and he immediately panicked.

“Don’t tell Minho! He probably doesn’t even like boys anyways…”

“We’ll keep your secret okay? You trusted us to tell us and I promise we won’t tell. It’ll be our little secret.”

“I don’t know why you were nervous to tell me!” Felix laughed, pulling Jisung from lying down and setting up to toss a piece of popcorn in his mouth, “I’m literally in a relationship with Changbin.”

“You had only dated girls before Changbin right?” Jisung asked, followed by a nod from Felix. “How did you know you liked him?”

“Honestly, Changbin made the first move, and I got so flustered, I said yes to the date he invited me on. It felt all the same though, I thought about him all the time and I wore my best clothes when we hung out. The only difference I noticed was it took me a while to figure out I was in love with him because it just felt like we were best friends and not enough like love.”

Jisung nodded, “For me, it kind of feels like that, but deep down I know Minho and I aren’t close enough to think we’re best friends. We’ve never even hung out one on one.”

“I could arrange that for you,” Chris offered, popping some gummy worms in his mouth.

“I’ll pass, thank you.” 

_Jisung’s walked into the familiar apartment, music ringing in his ears. He walked through the crowd of people trying to find Felix or Chris to ask about the drinks in the fridge. He spotted the familiar blonde and approached, the boy turning to give a hug._

_“Hey, can I have one of the wine coolers from the stash?” Jisung asked, pumping fists with Changbin and Minho who were standing in the circle Felix was a part of._

_“Yeah, of course, just make sure there’s a few left when you leave, don’t have em all.”_

_“Don’t worry I’m not looking to get drunk tonight,” Jisung laughed as he walked away from the circle and into the kitchen, opening the fridge and grabbing a wine cooler. It was strawberry and Jisung pulled the bottle opener that was on the fridge to pop it open before wandering about the party in search of other friends._

_He ran into something he didn’t want to see._

_Minkyeung had her legs wrapped around a boy as he pressed her against the wall, lips connected with force. He couldn’t stare any longer than that, the knot in his stomach growing in pain. He had to find Minho, he had to tell him._

_He searched and searched, opening and closing doors without finding him and his anxiety grew, the pounding in his head causing the world to spin. Minho. Where is he? I just need to see him for a minute. Please._

_Minho came into view, seeing him sitting with Chris across the dancefloor. Jisung pushed his way roughly through the people causing a few drinks to fly, but he didn’t care. Minho needed to know._

_“Minho!” He called as he approached the group, the dark-haired boy turning to meet eyes with Jisung._

_The pounding in his ears blocked out everything, all he could hear was his heavy breathing and his heartbeat. He felt dizzy like he was going to faint, but he pulled everything in his body to stay awake as he blurted out exactly what he needed to say._

_“Minkyeung is cheating on you.”_

_“She what?”_

_“I saw her kissing another boy in the hallway and I had to come to tell you.”_

_Minho stood up and Jisung watched him walk away. He wanted nothing more than to follow him, to tell him that it would be okay, that he loved him. All he could really do was hide his face in his hands and sit down, trying to get this pounding to subside._

_He was in love with Minho. It hurt him to see Minkyeung and him together, but it hurt more to see Minho so upset. What could Jisung even possibly do in this situation? He probably walked right into them, and they obviously wouldn’t be dating anymore. He lost his girlfriend._

_Minho came walking back, sitting down next to Jisung._

_“Wh-what happened?”_

_“She tried apologizing to me and I told her to get out and take her boy toy with her.” Minho grumbled, taking a large swig of his drink. He was visibly upset, and Jisung couldn’t ignore it._

_“Minho, I’m sorry she did that to you. I… I love you Minho, more than she ever would and-”_

_“Jisung, are you confessing to me?” Minho snarled. Jisung took a deep breath as the two locked eyes. Minho’s were dark and unforgiving and Jisung’s couldn’t help but shake aggressively._

_“Yes.”_

_“That’s disgusting. As if I would ever want to be with you. I’m not gay Jisung, you fucking fag.”_

Jisung shot up, breathing heavy and out of sync. He grasped his shirt, his hair, everything in his reach, looking around at the dark apartment. He was in the middle between a sleeping Felix and Chris, sighing lightly as he calmed down.

He lied back down, staring at the ceiling and letting the tears fall from his eyes.

“What’s wrong, Jisung?”

Jisung turned to his left to look at the blonde boy, Felix staring back at him. His freckles were more prominent than normal in the dark, but Jisung didn’t have the time to think about that.

“Minho is never going to like me back.” Jisung sobbed, tears finally falling in waves down his cheek. He choked back his whines as Felix pulled him into a hug and let him cry.

The tears felt like they would never stop. Jisung was disgusting for liking boys. It wasn’t right. He didn’t mind if other people did it, but not him. It wasn’t natural, it wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted to just be normal. He wanted dating to be easy, just deal with one gender, not both. He wanted to forget about Minho, pretend he never existed.

But he just couldn’t, no matter how hard he tried. All that was on his mind was Minho.

═════════════

“Seungmin!” 

Sua had practically knocked the whole table trying to get up from her seat to hug Seungmin. Her hair had been dyed since the last time Seungmin had seen it, a light auburn color with a few inches of roots grown out.

“Hey Sua, your hair looks amazing!” Seungmin giggled, pulling back from the hug to take a good look at her. To him, she had grown since the last time he saw her, but she still looked like a baby despite only being a year younger. She had a youthful glow and cute cheeks, sharp eyes with makeup done on them and a curved smile that made her aura feel like bubblegum. She was modeling in the main Busan center for a few fashion brands, and he had made a decent name for herself for being so young.

“Sua, scoot over!” Taesung bugged, pushing her to the side to give a hug as well. Taesung had black hair split just to the side from the middle. His entire face was a bit chubby, still housing his baby fat, and he could often be seen pouting. Taesung was the youngest out of all of Seungmin’s friends, so he definitely got babied the most often considering he was still a Junior in high school with Jeongin.

“Tae you know I could never neglect hugs from you,” Seungmin laughed, as Jeongin finished his round of hugs and sat down in one of the empty seats.

“Well is it my turn now or am I going to have to ask for a hug too?”

Seungmin rolled his eyes and offered the girl her hug. Her name was Yejin, she had a bit longer than shoulder-length black hair with straight across bangs. She wore more natural makeup and was an indie singer-songwriter. She had recently come out with an album and had just finished a Korean tour.

Seungmin finally gave Areum a hug and sat down. The waiter came and ordered everybodies drinks, everybody getting various types of tea or juice. They all sat and chatted about what everybody was doing, sharing stories and giggling along together.

“They asked me to get in the water and it was freezing! I was shivering the whole time they took pictures of me and I couldn’t breathe! I ended up having to go to the hospital and get a drip because I was so worried I had gotten sick, but they said I was fine.”

“Sua, why do I feel like this is a fake story?”

“Shut up Tae, more realistic than you getting an A on that exam! We all know you hang out with Jeongin more than you study!”

“Yah, everybody calm down.” Areum barged in, “I know we’re all excited to talk but the real reason we got together is for Seungmin.”

All eyes were on the boy who was mid-sip of his strawberry tea. He stopped with wide eyes, staring back at all the brown colored eyes that met his. He nearly choked on his tea, setting his cup down before he explained everything going on with Hyunjin and Jisung to his group.

“Well, let’s start with Hyunjin first. It seems like you guys almost keep bullying each other just for fun.” Yejin noted, shoving her fork into her breakfast and taking a bite.

“Yeah! You both seem nice to each other, and he even came to visit you after you punched him, so he must not be angry. Maybe he wants to talk and befriend you.” Sua added in.

“That sounds disgusting.” Seungmin retorted, taking another drink and half ignoring his food.

“Why don’t you want to be friends? What’s so bad about making up and working it out?” Areum asked.

“Because he’s so… unattractive.”

“I thought you said he modeled.” Taehyun barged in.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I think,” Yejin started, “You should talk to him. Maybe get his phone number from Hyeri or wait until the next time he comes into the cafe, and ask him to meet up somewhere and talk about your issues. Explain that since you keep seeing him around you don’t want to avoid him or get riled up and angry at him because it stressed you out and caused anxiety. If he’s as you say he is, he should understand and work with you. It seems like he’s a good boy that just likes teasing and messing with people.”

“As for Jisung, I think you should do what we did for you,” Areum added, “We each did something nice for you and eventually you opened up. I think if you’re a good friend you can talk to him. You struggled a lot accepting being Christian and being gay, but we still went to pride in the summer and you had an amazing time. I know it's far from now but pride would be fun, and I think it would be good to offer some queer books or movies for him. Plus you could bring him to some queer events on campus?”

“That sounds fun and it would probably be good for him. You just have to make him feel comfortable and normalize it in him. It’ll take some time but it’ll help,” Yejin continued, “About Minho, it seems a bit rough. He seems like he’s really in love with him so you have two problems on your hands. Maybe you could help them get closer to each other? I mean, it might hurt Jisung more in the end in terms of love, but it could normalize his feelings for Minho.”

“I’ll ask Chris and Felix about doing that. Thank you, guys. I really don’t know what I would do without you.”

“Don’t get all sappy with us, Seungmin. That’s gross.” Taesung laughed.

“Jeongin, you’ve been quiet.” Sua poked at his side.

“Well, I’m not good with advice so I don’t know how to help! Plus I need advice of my own…”

“About what?”

“Jessica!” Taesung yelled, causing Jeongin to flush bright pink.

“Shut up! You didn’t have to tell them who it was!”

“You have a crush and you didn’t tell me?!” Seungmin yelled back, pointing at Jeongin, upset.

“I’m sorry! She got me something for Valentine’s day and I want to tell her I like her back but every time I try, I get nervous and my hands shake! I couldn’t even put a letter in her locker! Then everyone’s been teasing me since then.”

Sua wrapped her arm around Jeongin and squeezed him tightly, “Don’t you worry, kid. I’ll help you confess.”

_The bell rang and Seungmin ran down the hallway of the high school. He whizzed past the lockers and windows, the sun hitting his face in the early morning. He was late, way late, and he would sure as hell be in trouble when he got to the class. He debated turning around and going home, but then he’d just be in trouble by his mother. Ms. Kang would be better than his mother any day, at least she couldn’t actually touch him or make him clean the whole house._

_He burst through the door of his classroom, panting as all eyes turned towards him._

_“Seungmin, you’re late.”_

_“I know,” He bowed into a perfect L, “I’m sorry, Ms. Kang.”_

_“What is your excuse?”_

_He stood up straight and looked at her, his hands held in front of his torso, “I won’t give you one, it was my fault. I’m sorry.”_

_“Stand in the back with your hands up for the first block and talk to me before lunch.”_

_“Yes, ma’am.”_

_Seungmin placed his backpack on the chair of his desk, walking past it to stand in the back. He raised his hands and began listening to the lecture._

_“As I was saying class…”_

_Ms. Kang’s voice was all Seungmin tried to focus on, ignoring the upcoming pain in his arms from holding them above his head. Normally when kids were asked to do this they would put their arms down while the teacher was turned toward the board, but Seungmin had more integrity than that._

_The problem was everyone else. It started with Minjae in the second to last row._

_He turned around and tossed a spitball at Seungmin. It hit his chest and fell to the ground. Soon, it was all the boys in class spitting at him. He hated it, but he couldn’t let it bother you._

_What hurt was the sign Jinhee wrote on his scratch paper, “Seungmin’s a faggot” that he showed to Seungmin before passing around the classroom._

_Seungmin let a tear fall down his cheek, closing his eyes and praying for the bell to ring for lunch. Praying, praying, god make it stop. Please make it all stop, the giggling, the whispering, the name, everything just stop._

_The bell rang._

_Seungmin picked up the spitballs from the back of the classroom and threw them away as the rest of the class left. He wiped his face and blinked to get rid of the tears in his eyes and he approached Ms. Kang’s desk._

_“Seungmin, I hope you know I’m trying to find a solution for you. These kids can’t keep teasing you the way they do, and I’m trying to have administration do something about this. Things aren’t very good for you here and I want to make sure that you don’t have to keep going through this.”_

_“Thank you, Ms. Kang, but I don’t need you to help me… It’s my own fault that it's like this and I should take responsibility.”_

_“Seungmin, your sexuality is not a choice and it makes you a wonderful being. Nobody should be treating you this way no matter your sexuality, gender, or beliefs, and you should not be blaming yourself for this, okay? Go get some lunch.”_

_Seungmin grabbed his backpack and walked down to the cafeteria. He sat down with Jeongin, Areum, and Sua as Taesung and Yejin hadn’t become friends yet. They talked and giggled like they normally did, but it didn’t mean Seungmin could have peace during lunch._

_“Hey, twink! Here’s your lunch.” The tray of food hit the top of Seungmin’s head, spilling over onto his uniform and into his lap. His mouth lay agape as he froze, trying to understand what happened and what to do next._

_“Ya you bitch! Come fight me, coward!” Sua yelled standing up and rolling up her sleeves after Minjae, Areum holding her back and trying to reason._

_Seungmin stood up from the table and walked toward the bathrooms with his head low. He pushed open the door, going to the sink and trying to wash clean of the food that would stain his uniform._

_The sensation of water suddenly hit him. He was cleaned of all the food, but the laughter drowned out the feeling. The boys had tossed a bucket full of water over Seungmin, soaking his uniform and him. His jacket all the way down to his socks were soaking wet and as the boys left the room calling him names Seungmin sunk to the floor. The tears in his eyes overflowed, he didn’t care anymore about pretending that he didn’t care about what they said. Everything hurt, and what would a few tears do to make the sopping mess of himself any worse?_

_The bell rang but he couldn’t move, he was shivering and shaking, sobbing under the sink of the bathroom and sitting in the puddle with hair dripping down into it. If he died right here from hypothermia, we would’ve been happy, but sadly that’s not what happened._

_“Seungmin?” There was a soft knock on the door. “Are you in there?” The voice was soft and concerned, and there was no way she couldn’t hear him sobbing from the way he was whining and sniffling, trying his hardest to breathe._

_“Seungmin, I’m coming in.” The door opened to allow the sunlight to flood in, finally realizing the boys had left him there in the dark. “Oh my god, Seungmin!”_

_The girl had rushed over to the sobbing boy, crouching down after rushing over. She shook him lightly, pushing back his hair and trying to wipe the tears from his face. He was an absolute mess, but it was hard to ignore this wasn’t his fault._

_“Come on Seungmin, we need to get you back to class and into different clothes. I’m Yejin, I’m sorry I never talk to you, what they do to you is cruel. I’ll stand up for you okay? You don’t have to cry anymore.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! This chapter took so much of my energy and stress and it was definitely therapeutic for me so I hope you enjoy me low-key venting through these characters lol
> 
> Extra-long too ;) Things are finally starting to pick up


	10. An Act of Kindness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.
> 
> Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_   
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_   
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_

Seungmin’s eyes opened and he sighed at the thought of his dream. Even after trying his best to forget everything, it was easier said than done. Without Yejin he wouldn’t have been okay that day, and it was hard for Seungmin to fathom what he might’ve done if she hadn’t helped him.

Seungmin spent a moment thinking about what happened the rest of that god awful day. He went back to class soaking wet, was allowed to change into his gym clothes for the rest of the day, and figured he’d walk home alone like normal. Jeongin would walk with him, but he had a club after school. Instead, Yejin brought Seungmin out for ice cream and walked him all the way home despite living the opposite direction. After that, they were practically inseparable, Yejin even stood up to the boys for Seungmin after that despite being called names by them too.

Home was where everything felt right, but he couldn’t stay. It was Sunday and he would have to be back before tomorrow morning to go to work. He could call off, but money is money and work is work.

He pulled himself out of bed and wandered down the stairs to the kitchen. His mother was kneading a loaf of bread when he greeted her on his way to the fridge to get a bottle of water.

“Honey, there’s food on the stove. It might be a bit cold now so you’ll have to warm it back up.”

“Where did Dad go?”

“He got extra hours at work this weekend so he’ll be there until two.”

Seungmin nodded and made himself a plate of pancakes, eating quietly at the counter his mom was working at. The counter was covered in flour, but he didn’t mind. The sun always shone through the kitchen window and he didn’t mind standing to talk to his mom while he ate.

“So, how are classes going? Have you got any more friends other than Jisung now?”

“Classes are good, Mom. I’ve got good grades, don’t worry. As for friends, there are a few. I met two girls in my photography and literature classes and we’re really close. Jisung’s introduced me to a few people too that are cool, but we’re not really close. Chris and Felix are from Australia, and Felix is dating Changbin, a boy that I work with.”

“It sounds like you’re finally starting to get out there, Minnie! I’m glad Jisung broke you out of your shell a bit.”

“Well, it wasn’t exactly Jisung that did that. It was just kind of happenstance. I’m forced to get to know them because Jisung isn’t doing too well.”

His mom gave an inquisitive but stern look to say ‘You’re doing okay right?’ while also being concerned. She plopped her dough into two bread pans and put them into the oven.

“He thinks that he may be bisexual, and I’m almost 100% sure he likes a friend of his.”

“That’s hard for him, but I know you can help him. You did a lot of good things when you came out to me. I remember you thought I was going to kick you out and I cried about it because I could never.”

Seungmin nodded lightly at the saddening memory, taking a few bites in the silence as his mom cleaned up her mess of flour and ingredients on the counter.

“Do you have a boyfriend yet?”

Seungmin had his cup up to his mouth, taking a drink of apple juice that he nearly snorting out, choking at the question. He was coughing for about a minute before finally answering, “Mom, you can’t just ask me that!”

“Why not?! You need to find a boyfriend so you can get married.”

“Mom, I’m like nineteen!”

“So? You have to date now so you can find one to marry later! I want to see one of my children in a wedding dress and your sister isn’t getting married anytime soon!”

“Mom, if I got married I wouldn’t even want a wedding dress!” Seungmin giggled with his mom, the pair opting to do dishes together after breakfast. The bread had more time in the oven still and they would talk more.

“There is this boy- and don’t get any wrong ideas, Mom, I just need advice about him. Everyone’s been putting us together and he may be breathtakingly gorgeous but he is not my type.”

“I’ll pretend you didn’t just gush over him, continue.”

“I wasn’t gushing, literally every person thinks that about him. Anyways, he’s been coming into the cafe and he was just overall rude, then pity tipped me twenty dollars, but turns out he just wanted to pay for drinks in advance. So I shoved the twenty into his coffee and yelled at him and I thought that would be it. Then I had to do a photo shoot with him and things were kind of fine… until I punched him and made him bleed.”

Sungmin’s head was met with a hard smack, “Don’t hit people, Seungmin! I did not raise you to be like that!”

“Ma! You just hit me what do you mean you didn’t raise me-”

“Continue the story before I hit you again!”

“Anyways, he came into work after that and asked me why I was avoiding him, and everyone seems to think that he likes me or something.”

“Well, uhhh I’ve dated boys, but I’ve never been a boy that dates boys. Do you know if he’s gay too?”

“Mom, I’m not trying to date him! I doubt it since he doesn’t look like it, though. He sure as hell doesn’t have a crush on me I can tell you that. If he wants to be friends I feel like we could, but how do you get over that barrier?”

“Talk about it. I’m sure if you punched him he must’ve done something wrong. I mean, you never fought back before so he probably knows why you did it. Maybe you should ask him to meet you somewhere on campus that you’ve never been together to talk about it.”

Seungmin nodded, making note of the idea even if he hated it. They finished the dishes and his mom pulled out the bread from the oven, slicing the loaves and packaging them, giving one to Seungmin to bring back to the dorm. He giggled a bit at the thought because he could’ve easily made his own bread, but he was happy to have some homemade food and not school food.

The two decided to go through some old photo books and boxes that his mom wanted to clean out, laughing at baby pictures and looking at pictures from when his parents were dating. When his dad came home he helped clean out a few things. They had dinner at five, getting Chinese takeout from a family friend’s restaurant, and played a board game after that.

It was around eight when Seungmin asked his parents to drop him off at the train station. The ride was long and boring, Seungmin spending his time uploading and editing the photos of the beach he took.

When he pulled his things off the train the streets still had cars, but the nightlife outside of the station was not like it was on Friday nights. The lights were bright but there weren’t many people out at eleven like he was. He dragged his bags across the empty and dark campus to the dorm room. He walked up the stairs and walked down the hallway, a drizzle starting to wet the side of the hallway where the railing was off the balcony.

Seungmin reached into his backpack to find his keys, and after several minutes of frantically looking, remembering exactly where they were. He was so worried about Chris giving him a ride that he didn’t even grab his key.

He pulled out his phone and called Jisung as he pounded on the door. There was no reply on either end. He was locked out and Jisung wasn’t even here. He was probably at Chris and Felix’s. Seungmin called Chris and there was no answer either, in fact, it went straight to voicemail.

Seungmin sighed and sat outside the locked door and opening the group chat that was so familiar to him.

**Seungshine:** Guys I’m locked out and Jisung isn’t answering  
**Seungshine:** Anyone got a couch I can crash on for tonight?

 **Seo cute:** I’d say you could use mine but I’m pretty sure my roommate would kill me  
**Seo cute:** She hates when I bring people over and it's insane

 **Seungshine:** …  
**Seungshine:** Hyeri?

 **Ri-ally smol:** I’m not back yet, I leave tomorrow morning  
**Ri-ally smol:** I can ask my brother but you’d have to see Hyunjin

 **Seungshine:** That makes me want to die but I have no choice

 **Ri-ally smol:** brb ill call him

Seungmin sat outside the door as the rain went from a drizzle to actual rain. If he had to he would sleep outside, but that would be embarrassing and insanely stupid. He couldn’t afford to get sick and even if he did, where would he put his stuff when he had to go to work?

Ding.

**Ri-ally smol:** Seungwoo said you could but you’d have to ask Hyunjin if it's okay with him because Seungwoo isn’t home either.

 **Seungshine:** Disgusting.  
**Seungshine:** Send me his number.

 **Ri-ally smol:** Brother #2: xxx-xxx-xxxx

Seungmin sighed and saved the number into his phone under Hyunjin. He dialed it, putting the phone up to his ear as he watched the rain drench the side of the hallway.

“Hello?” Hyunjin’s voice was familiar and inquisitive. Seungmin hadn’t thought about the fact Hyunjin didn’t have his number too.

“It's Seungmin,” he muttered lightly, trying to keep from getting overwhelmed at everything.

“How’d you get- well, nevermind. What’s up?”

“I got locked out… Can I stay with you tonight?”

Seungmin’s voice was soft and gentle like he was nervous and on the verge of crying, “Of course, I’ll come to pick you up right now. Meet me at the back entrance of the dorm by the parking lot, okay? I’ll be there in five.”

Seungmin heard the phone dial beep and he sighed, standing up and bringing his things back down to stairs toward the parking lot. He stood under the small overhang, the lights not giving much light in the rain. The way Hyunjin talked reminded him of Yejin and it only caused the tears to overflow in his eyes. The rain pittered against the ground, the gloominess setting into Seungmin. He waited, purposefully pushing away any tears that tried to surface. He didn’t want Hyunjin to see him like this.

The car pulled up next to Seungmin, Hyunjin hopping out with his jacket wrapped tightly around him. Seungmin walked his stuff to the car, trying to avoid getting it too soaked in the pouring rain.

“Get in,” Hyunjin insisted, taking the suitcase and backpack to throw in the back seat.

Seungmin did as told, his shoes squeaking from being wet, the boy running his hand through his hair and trying to shake it dry. Hyunjin got back into the driver’s seat, wet but covered by his jacket.

“Why aren’t you wearing a jacket, Seungmin? Are you crazy?” Hyunjin leaned against Seungmin’s chair to reach in the back seat for a very soft and warm blanket. He handed it over, Seungmin taking it shyly and wrapping himself in it after buckling in.

“Thank you,” he muttered softly. 

Hyunjin sighed at the wet boy, shivering in the cold and obviously not in a good mood. He turned on the heater and some music. It was similar to what Seungmin liked to listen to in style, just different artists.

The car ride was quiet, the music saving it from being awkward. They drove not far from the university to a small cluster of apartment buildings, the most modern being the one they would enter. Hyunjin parked in his designated spot, too far from the entrance to the building for his own liking, but it had to make do. Seungmin folded the blanket that was lent to him and put it in the back seat, getting out with Hyunjin back into the rain. They grabbed his things and briskly walked to the doors of the apartment. 

Hyunjin pulled the glass door open and led Seungmin to the elevator. He pressed the eighth floor and the doors closed, allowing the silence to fester.

“How did you get locked out?” Hyunjin asked gently. Seungmin hadn’t ever seen him talk like this and in a way, it calmed him down.

“I forgot my key when I left for the weekend and I thought Jisung would be back from Felix’s but he didn’t answer his phone or the door…”

“So you called me next?”

Seungmin shook his head lightly as the elevator passed the fifth floor, “I asked Hyeri and Seojung first, but Hyeri’s back home and Seojung’s roommate wouldn’t let me. Hyeri said Seungwoo might be able to help but that he wasn’t home so I should call you.”

“He’s working on a group project all night. I’m glad you called me, I’d rather you didn’t sleep out in the pouring rain all night.”

The elevator dinged and the pair got off the floor, walking down the well-lit hallway to Hyunjins apartment. He pulled out his keys and shoved one into the doorknob, turning it to unlock the door. He pushed it open and led Seungmin into the apartment, the first thing Seungmin noticed was the cute dog that came running up with short little legs.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you I have a dog!” Hyunjin exclaimed, quickly picking it up and bringing it over for Seungmin to pet.

“This is Kkami. He’s a five-year-old chihuahua.”

“He’s cute, but he looks more like a pomeranian with a chihuahua’s face photoshopped on.”

Hyunjin laughed and set Kkami down, pushing the door closed and welcoming Seungmin. The kitchen was directly to their left, pretty spacious and pretty. The living room was in front of them, couches set up along with a television that was on but paused. Seungmin put his stuff by the couch that didn’t have Hyunjins laptop and papers on, sitting down carefully on it.

“I’ll go grab you a blanket and pillow okay?” Seungmin nodded at this as Hyunjin wandered down the hallway and out of sight.

Kkami hopped up onto the couch and Seungmin offered his hand for him to sniff. Kkami decided he was okay, probably being that he smelled wet, and climbed into his lap for Seungmin to pet. Hyunjin came back with a quilted blanket and a pillow from his own bed, placing them on the couch for Seungmin.

“Do you want to take a shower?” 

Seungmin nodded lightly, Kkami looking up at Hyunjin who kneeled down by the couch to pet him. “Grab some clothes and I’ll find you a spare towel to use.”

Hyunjin left and came back with a towel as Seungmin finished getting his pajamas out of his suitcase. He led him down the hallway he had been disappearing to and led him into the bathroom. It looked modern and very nice, plants and decor spotting the bathroom that kind of reminded him of a magazine design his sister would do.

“Feel free to use my shower stuff and just toss the towel in the laundry basket when you’re done.”

“Thank you, Hyunjin. I really appreciate it.” Hyunjin gave a small smile back and left Seungmin to his shower.

Seungmin started the shower and stripped, quickly getting in under the warmth after the cold of sitting in wet clothes. He rinsed and washed his hair quickly like he always did, but trying to not waste water or anything while he was in someone else’s household. 

When he got out he dried himself out well, putting on his navy blue matching pajama set. He dried his hair with the towel as much as possible. He put the towel in the laundry as told and grabbed his dirty clothes that he folded before leaving the bathroom and turning the light off.

Hyunjin had changed into his pajamas as well, a black tee-shirt and red plaid pants. He was sitting on the other couch, his laptop to his side and a paper on his lap that he looked to be drawing on. Seungmin put his dirty clothes with his stuff and sat down on the other couch.

“I hope it's okay if I stay in here a bit longer to finish this,” Hyunjin said quickly, looking back and forth between his computer and his paper.

“I have to do some stuff too so it's okay,” Seungmin said, getting up to grab his own laptop to submit those photos before photography tomorrow. When he brought his laptop back over he turned it on, the ding showing that the battery was low. He got up again with a sigh and pulled out his charger. “Where can I plug this in at?”

“Oh, there's a plug over here but you’ll have to move couches to work.”

Seungmin nodded as Hyunjin moved his papers and laptop over on the other side as Seungmin plopped his onto the seat he would be taking and plugging it into the outlet. He sat down, Kkami following and sitting between the two boys. Seungmin pulled up his photos to begin editing them, Hyunjin peeking over to see what he was working on.

“Another project? Or just for fun?”

“A project, it’s due tomorrow so I have to finish editing.”

“Sometimes, I forget you’re a photography major,” Hyunjin laughed, watching as Seungmin showed him all the pictures he took at the beach.

Seungmin looked over at Hyunjin’s laptop, noticing the floor plans and the collage of furniture Hyunjin had put next to it, “So interior design?”

“Yeah, I have the first draft of this design due tomorrow. It’s pretty much the most disgusting thing.”

“But you like it right? So why do you hate this?”

Hyunjin pulled out his other pages where he had drawn and colored in a kitchen, bedroom, living room, bathroom, basically every room in the house.

“I have to do the whole house. It's harder than you’d think to do a whole house with different and unique designs while also being compatible.”

Seungmin let out a giggle, “You sound like my sister.”

Hyunjin looked at Seungmin with a weird look, both of confusion and offense, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“She’s an interior designer in America. Well, kind of. She’s doing an internship right now, but she talks just like that when she works.”

“Well, why do you hate your project?”

“These pictures aren’t in my style like… at all. Honestly, I’m pretty sure I’m going to get points taken off for it since my style is different from everyone else’s in my class.”

“Can I see?”

Seungmin looked up at Hyunjin as he placed his papers and laptop onto the coffee table, picking up Kkami to put on his lap as he scoots over next to Seungmin. Seungmin felt the hairs on his neck stand up as Hyunjin leaned to better see his laptop. He let out a deep breath and pulled up his photography folder.

He opened some of the photos he had taken that did well in competitions for his high school as well as the photo sets he edited for his photography class. He showed Hyeri’s photoshoot as well as Jisung’s shoot at the arcade.

“You’re a really amazing photographer Seungmin. All of these photos are gorgeous. You’re kinda right… these beach ones suck.”

Seungmin nudged Hyunjin as the older laughed, “It’s okay not all of my stuff is good either. Do you want to see?”

Seungmin nodded as Hyunjin pulled up the designs he had done. Some were good, some were awful, some Seungmin thought were a bit weird but it was always like that with interior design. Weird colors and patterns matched together that kind of worked but what looked ugly to Seungmin was beautiful and creative to other people. He didn’t quite understand it.

The boys sat for another hour talking and complaining about their projects together as they finished them. The two had tired eyes and many yawns as they cleaned up their stuff.

“Good night, Seungmin. I’ll bring you to work tomorrow morning so try to get some sleep even if the couch isn’t that comfortable.”

“Goodnight, thank you again”

Hyunjin had disappeared down the hallway as Seungmin set his alarm for 6 the next morning and plugged his phone in. He climbed under the blanket and fell asleep quickly after a very long day.

When his alarm went off in the morning he quickly turned it off, sighing at the thought of getting up in the morning to go to work. The shower was running and, as Seungmin got up to find some clothes, it turned off. It was a few minutes of silence as Seungmin waited to use the bathroom. Hyunjin came out with slightly damp hair, moving out into the living room as he shook them.

“We leave in twenty minutes okay? We get cereal for breakfast.”

Seungmin nodded as he passed Hyunjin to use the bathroom and change. Seungmin wore a blue sweater and ripped jeans along with his converse, also taking a minute to try to fix his hair after it dried overnight.

He left the bathroom to find Hyunjin already eating a bowl of cereal at the island where stools were set up. Seungmin joined him to eat, sitting down next to him where another bowl of cereal was placed. 

Hyunjin got up once Seungmin had gotten there despite not finishing his food to blow dry his hair. He came back with it dry as Seungmin was nearly done with his cereal. His hair looked windswept and soft, it was a bit long for Seungmin’s liking but Hyunjin pulled it off well. The boys finished their cereal, placing the bowls in the sink and grabbing their things to leave.

“You’ll have to come by later to grab your stuff but we’re gonna be late so let’s go,” Hyunjin whined as Seungmin quickly grabbed his backpack and phone to leave. He was still just as cranky in the morning as he always was, and definitely impatient.

The car ride was filled with Hyunjin’s music, some of the songs Seungmin knew himself so he hummed along quietly. When they got to campus Hyunjin parked as close to the cafe as he could, the pair getting out and walking through the streetlights that had yet to turn off in the minimal sunlight that was out at the time. They approached the door and Seungmin sighed, realizing again that he didn’t have his keys to open the cafe.

“Turn around,” Seungmin insisted.

“What why?”

“I don’t have my key so I have to use the spare key, and I am _not_ about to show you where it's hidden,” Seungmin blurted out.

Hyunjins eyes rolled as he turned his back to the storefront, “So bossy.”

Seungmin grabbed the key from the false bottom of one of the potted plants outside and opened the door, letting Hyunjin go in first so he could put the key back. Hyunjin turned the lights at the front of the store on for Seungmin as he rushed behind the counter to turn on the open sign and put on his apron. Hyunjin waited on his phone as Seungmin rushed around the back, starting all the coffee brews.

Seungmin came to the register where Hyunjin was waiting to pay, the younger ringing up the order and then walking away to pour the brew that Hyunjin always ordered - a large, caramel macchiato with two shots of espresso.

“Are you gonna take my card anytime soon or no?” Hyunjin asked with a frustrated tone, his anger coming through.

“I’m paying for it, idiot,” Seungmin replied, handing over the cup with Hyunjin’s name written on it. Hyunjin took it with a dumbfounded look on his face of disbelief.

“Why?”

“Because you did me a favor, it’s kind of the least I can do for you,” Seungmin replied, rolling up his sleeves to swipe his own card for the order. 

“You’re something else, Seungmin. Just try not to lock yourself out again, hmm?”

“Aren’t you like... late for something?” Seungmin asked sarcastically, moving from the register to the brews to finish what he had started.

“You’re so annoying,” the other said, placing a twenty-dollar bill into the tip jar.


	11. Infatuation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.
> 
> Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_   
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_   
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_

Jisung woke up from his slumber where he had stayed the second night in the row, among pillows, blankets, snacks, and his two best friends. His alarm was going off so he turned it off, groaning and lying back down amongst the blankets. He could tell Chris was gone, he had early classes after all. He was half fallen asleep when he felt like he was being murdered.

Felix was atop of him, shaking him so violently Jisung saw stars.

“Get up, you lazy butt! You have to go to claaaaaass!”

“What is it with Aussie’s and making me want to vomit?!” Jisung whined, trying to push Felix off of him. When Felix stopped he stood up, Jisung making note that the boy had already gotten ready for school. Jisung checked his phone, five missed calls and three text messages all from Seungmin.

**RoomieTM:** Answer!  
**RoomieTM:** I’m locked out!  
**RoomieTM:** JISUNG

Jisung scrambled out of his cocoon of blankets and grabbed a pair of clothes, taking the fastest shower of his life. When he left the apartment, Felix was attempting to make breakfast for the two of them and get Jisung to stay with him. Jisung’s hair was still sopping wet and he left his duffle bag with his clothes for the weekend behind as he ran through the quad to get to the cafe.

“Seungmin!” Jisung yelled as he burst through the door of the cafe. By the looks of it, Jisung had gotten there just before the second rush of the morning.

“Hey, Ji. What can I get ya?” Seungmin asked, giggling a bit at the dishevelment of the boy. His shoes were hardly tied, his hair wet, and his flannel only half on under his backpack.

“Tell me you’re okay!”

“I’m fine, Ji. I got locked out but I figured it out so you don’t have to worry,” Seungmin smiled, putting in a straw-berry-fine for Jisung even if he hadn’t specifically said that’s what he wanted.

“What did you do then? You didn’t sleep on the balcony, did you?!”

“I’m not an idiot, I slept at Hyunjin’s.”

Jisung’s jaw dropped as the two boys met eyes. Seungmin was obviously uncomfortable with how intense Jisung was staring at him, Jisung’s face going from surprise to confusion to complete disbelief.

He let out a laugh, “You’re kidding right?”

“I wish. He was the only person I could contact.”

“Oh my god, you’re being serious.”

Seungmin rolled his eyes and motioned Jisung to move over so he could take the order of the girl behind him. She had dark hair with bangs, wearing streetwear, and basic makeup. Seungmin took her order, a blueberry tea with lemon, name Minkyeung. 

Jisung had immediately recognized her, but it took Seungmin her name to make the connection of who she was. She smiled and thanked Seungmin after paying and waited to the side on her phone. When Changbin walked over to give Jisung the smoothie he had made, he stopped for a moment to talk to Minkyeung. Seungmin couldn’t really tell what they were saying as he was too focused on Jisung going on about how he spent the night at Hyunjin’s, but it sounded like the couple and Changbin had plans for the night.

“...So did he try to kill you in your sleep? He fed you, right? That’s kind of cute that he took care of you, you know!”

“That’s disgusting Ji, and what happened to butting out of my love life?!”

“Answer the questions! What happened?! I won’t leave until you tell me!”

“He picked me up in the rain, gave me a blanket in his car to keep warm, I met his dog, I took a shower, we did homework, shared some of our work, went to bed, woke up, got ready, ate food, and came here.”

“He’s a gentleman then. I approve of this relationship.”

Seungmin raised a hand to smack Jisung on the back of his head, but Jisung promptly sipped his smoothie as he ran out of the cafe.

═════════════

“Seungmin help!” Jisung yelled from the bathroom, throwing the door open and turning the light off as he barreled his way to Seungmin’s bed. The boy was sitting on his laptop doing homework, the lights illuminating the otherwise dark room.

“With what?”

“Minho sent me a text message!”

“I need to help why exactly?”

“How do I reply?!”

Seungmin grabbed Jisung’s phone, the brightness all the way down. He sighed and turned the brightness up, practically unable to read anything without doing so. The text message read “Hey, we’re doing a movie night at Chris’s, you coming?”

“Are you going?” Seungmin asked, handing the phone back over that half-blinded Jisung, who quickly turned the brightness down again.

“I mean if Minho will be there, I want to... but Minkyeung will be there too, right?”

“I know she will be, I overheard Changbin and her talking about it this morning.”

“Then should I go?”

“Yes, Ji. Just because Minkyeung is going to be there doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go. I mean, spending any time with him will be good.”

Jisung nodded and quickly sent a text back.

**Lee Minho:** Hey, we’re doing a movie night at Chris’s you coming?

 **Han Jisung:** Yeah I am

**Lee Minho is typing…**

**Lee Minho:** Do you need a ride?

“Seungmin, do I get a ride from him?”

“Duh.”

 **Han Jisung:** Yes Please!

 **Lee Minho:** Ill be there in 15

Jisung sprung up from his spot lying across Seungmin’s bed and bolted for the bathroom. Seungmin could tell even from his bed that Jisung was brushing his teeth… three times. When he emerged from the bathroom, he also had put on chapstick and used a straightener to put his hair in place after it drying in the worst possible way on his run to the cafe. 

He pushed on his shoes and exchanged his flannel for a blue hoodie that he pulled over his head, whining to himself for ruining the hair he just fixed.

“Seungminie?” he asked as he emerged from the bathroom for the sixth time in the past ten minutes, “Do I look okay?”

Seungmin could tell that Jisung was worried about this whole situation, but he didn’t understand it. Jisung was an attractive male who was kind, funny, and adorable. If Minho didn’t realize that, then he was an idiot. “You look great, Ji. Don’t worry about it.”

Jisung sighed and grabbed his phone that he had left on the kitchen table along with his keys, locking the door behind him as he left the dorm. He walked down the hallway, his hands beginning to sweat at the thought of Minho. What would he be wearing? Jeans? Sweats and a hoodie? Maybe a nice t-shirt? Was Jisung underdressed?

He didn’t have time to overthink anymore when he opened the door of his dorm to be met with Minho’s car. Jisung’s head went blank as Minho smiled at him, leaning over to better see the younger boy from the driver’s side through the passenger window.

In that moment, Jisung couldn’t move, but he needed to snap out of it. He shook his head and smiled back nervously, opening the door to sit in the front passenger seat.

“We’re picking up Minkyeung before we go to the boys, hope that’s okay.”

“Oh yeah, no problem!” Jisung grinned, trying to make himself comfortable in the front seat of Minho’s car. The music was playing a bit too loud for Jisung, but it didn’t bother him too much. Instead, he watched Minho drive off-campus, the car smooth, proving Minho was a good driver. 

His eyes were focused on the road, not once looking Jisung’s way, and that eased some of his anxiety. Minho was wearing a black t-shirt and black sweats, a pair of curved glasses on his face. Jisung didn’t realize Minho needed glasses to see like he did, but he definitely looked better in them then Jisung ever would.

Then Jisung had a thought, the car pulling into the parking lot of an apartment building. “Do you want me to move to the back so Minkyeung can sit here?”

Minho’s eyes met Jisung’s as the car was parked. Jisung’s eyes were wide and sparkly under the dark light, causing a small giggle out of Minho. “No, why would I?”

“Oh, I-” Jisung gulped and turned away from Minho, his eyes focused on the figure of the girl that had become familiar to him as she walked toward the car, “Usually girlfriends sit next to their boyfriends in cars.”

Minho rolled the passenger side window down, that had been rolled up during their drive, to yell out of it, “You’ve got back seat.”

Minkyeung rolled her head in a visible sigh, the window rolling up once again as she opened the door to the back seat. She sat in the middle seat on the edge of her butt to kiss Minho on the cheek.

He wiped off the smudge of lipstick she left and pulled out of the parking lot, the dark-haired girl refusing to put on her seatbelt even after Minho asked her. He drove kindly, careful of bumps as not to hurt her. They pulled around the corner to the familiar glass dorm that Jisung knew well. Minho slammed on his brakes as he pulled roughly into the parking spot, holding a hand out to keep Jisung from being flung too far forward. It was obvious to him that Minho was upset with Minkyeung, likely for not wearing the seat belt.

“We’re here,” he grumbled.

“No shit! Thanks for nearly killing me!” She whined from the back seat, fixing her hair as she got out of the car and slammed her door shut.

Jisung awkwardly sat there, turning back to see Minkyeung fixing the outfit she was wearing earlier. He looked back at Minho, who was taking off his seatbelt, who met eyes with the boy.

“Come on, Ji. You can’t watch the movie from the car.” Jisung pressed his lips together in worry, his hands playing with the rings on his fingers. “Just ignore her, let’s go.”

Minho leaned over the console of the car and undid Jisung’s seatbelt, helping him out of it just a bit. Jisung nodded, grabbing the belt and letting it retract before opening the door and stepping out. Minho walked to the back of the car toward the dorm, Minkyeung immediately wrapping her arm around Minho’s. Jisung watched the two of them walk in front of him, though he tried to ignore it as best as he could. For just a second, he thought Minho had looked back at him but his bangs clouded his view and it wasn’t like Minho had any reason to.

Felix opened the door to let the three in, Chris and Changbin sitting on the couch. This morning the floor was covered in pillows and blankets from Jisung’s sleepover, now the only thing on the floor of the living room were snacks.

“Hey!” Minho started, giving small brofists as hello’s to Chris and Changbin, “What are we watching?”

“Changbin wanted horror but you know how Felix is, so we settled for Zombieland.”

“Oh cool, which one?” Minho asked, taking off his shoes with Jisung, Minkyeung kicking hers off quickly and sitting at the edge of the couch that didn’t have anyone sitting there. 

“The second.”

Jisung looked at the room, making note of the singular spot on the couch left that would have to go to Minho to sit next to his girlfriend. He instead opted to sit on the loveseat and bundle himself in the blanket there, pulling his feet up onto the couch. 

Chris got up from his spot in the middle of the couch, meeting Felix in the kitchen to get the last bowls of popcorn they made for the movie night. They returned after the lights were turned off, Chris sitting with Jisung on the loveseat and Felix sitting next to Changbin, a bowl placed directly in between them. Then the movie started.

Zombieland wasn’t exactly Jisung’s taste. It was funny sometimes but he preferred a different genre, and he didn’t really care to watch a zombie movie when he hadn’t even seen the first one. He watched the introduction, something that primarily made him lose interest. He felt a buzzing in his pocket, pulling out his phone to see what it was. He was expecting a game notification, but it was a text from Seungmin.

**RoomieTM:** How’s it going?

 **Jeepers:** Okay?? I don’t know

 **RoomieTM:** What does that even mean?

Jisung moved his phone, turning toward Minho who was intently watching the movie. He snapped a quick picture, triple-checking to make sure the flash was off, Minkyeung very obviously snuggling up against Minho.

**Jeepers sent a photo**

**RoomieTM:** That’s rough I’m sorry

 **Jeepers:** I’m just bored and want to go home

 **RoomieTM:** Do you want me to make an excuse

 **Jeepers:** No it’s not worth it

 **RoomieTM:** Okay let me know if I can help ^^

Jisung put his phone back in his pocket, covering himself with the blanket again. He wasn’t exactly cold, but if it gave him the comfort he needed, he wasn’t about to stop now. He glanced over at Minho, who gave him a small smile before turning back to the movie.

“Scoot over guys, I’m coming back to the couch.” Jisung followed Chris’s voice as he stood from the love seat, Felix moving onto Changbin’s lap to make more room for his roommate. Jisung was now alone on the love seat, extending his legs for comfort and lying down on the decorative pillow. If he couldn’t leave he might as well sleep. Jisung could hear some whispering and rustling, but he opted to ignore it as he had almost fallen asleep. 

“Ji,” There was a loud whisper, obviously coming from the couch. Jisung turned his head toward the sound, one eye-opening. Minho was looking at him, apparently trying to communicate via telepathy because Jisung was not understanding what he was trying to say. 

“You’re not making any sense,” Jisung whined in a whisper, fully turning his body to face the very attractive boy. Minho waved his hand for Jisung to come to him, causing a whiny shake of the head from Jisung. Minho kept bugging him, a minute later the strawberry-blonde getting up from the loveseat, taking the blanket with him to approach Minho on the couch. 

Minho pulled Jisung down to his level, whispering in his ear, something Jisung had never expected, “Come sit on my lap, you seem lonely over there.”

When Minho pulled his head back to look at Jisung, the boy’s face was flushed pink, something he wasn’t sure that the boy would have noticed under the dim light. Jisung tilted his head in confusion but reluctantly sat on the edge of Minho’s lap. Jisung felt Minho’s arms wrap around him and the blanket he had, pulling him back to fully sit on his lap, half sideways for comfort. Jisung looked at the boy, who smiled happily back at him, his arms moving under the blanket to hold the blonde. Minho looked amazing like this. His hair, slightly messy with his glasses on. His skin looked perfect and his eyes were pretty when Jisung could see them this close. It took everything out of him to keep from kissing him.

Jisung pulled the blanket higher against himself, trying not to move too much in Minho’s grasp. He watched the movie solely because he couldn’t look at Minho anymore. Minkyeung came back from what Jisung assumed to be the bathroom, the girl squeezing between Chris and Minho once more, pulling one of his arms from under the blanket and holding his hand. Jisung could feel Minho sigh, but he wasn’t sure if it was disappointment or content.

Jisung got his answer when Minho only a few minutes later let his free hand slide under Jisung’s hoodie and shirt to pull him back against his chest. Jisung fit perfectly here, head against Minho’s shoulder with his hand against Jisung’s stomach, almost lovingly. Jisung almost fell asleep like that, the only thing keeping him from that being the credits of the movie.

“Minho, let’s go home! I have homework to do and early classes tomorrow!” 

Minho sighed, letting go of Minkyeung’s hand to brush his hair back from his forehead, “If you were so busy, why did you come? Are you coming with us, Ji?”

Jisung nodded lightly, sitting up from his position and moving Minho’s hand from his waist. The three of them put on their shoes as Chris and Felix cleaned up some of the mess and turned the lights on. Jisung folded his blanket before following the couple out the door of the apartment and down the stairwell.

As they approached the car Minkyeung sat herself in the front seat, putting on the seatbelt, likely because she didn’t want to anger Minho more than she already had. “We’re taking Jisung home first, right?”

“If that’s okay with him,” Minho replied to the girl, who was rubbing his arm lovingly. He looked to the back seat of the car, Jisung giving a small nod of approval. 

The car ride was silent, neither of the boys willing to speak about the event, and Minkyeung likely upset about them. There was a “see you later” when Jisung climbed out of the car, but from Minkyeung. Minho didn’t even look back at the younger boy.

Jisung unlocked the door of his dorm after half running down the hallway to get there, spotting Seungmin in the exact spot he left him.

“Help!”

“Huh?” Seungmin asked, looking up from his laptop to see the familiar face lit purple thanks to his lights.

“I think Minho was flirting with me but I don’t know!”

“How don’t you know? I feel like flirting is pretty forward.”

“He has a girlfriend, remember?” Jisung whined, taking off his shoes and hoodie, placing his keys and phone on his desk to come back to later, “but he had me sit on his lap and even held my waist!”

“This sounds like a rom-com and that is disgusting,” Seungmin squinted at the boy who had come over to lean himself against his bed.

“What do I do?”

“Ask?”

“I can’t just ask! He. Has. A. Girl. Friend.”

Girlfriend. Jisung had told him that Minho’s sexuality was up in the air, right. Minkyeung seemed nice enough, but the few times Seungmin saw her they either weren’t together or they were overly cute. Seungmin always thought it was weird that she acted the way she did around Minho but not alone.

“Maybe they’re fake dating.”

“What is this, a kdrama?”

“And you’re the lead, Jisung! It’s destiny!’

“Just about as destined as you and Hyunjin,” Jisung replied, throwing a pillow at Seungmin as he climbed into his own bed.

“Go to sleep before I climb over there and make this a horror film.”


	12. Is it or isn't it?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.
> 
> Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_   
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_   
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_

Wednesday, two days after the incident with Minho, Jisung was pacing the dorm room when Seungmin came home from hanging out with Hyeri and Seojung. The boy’s hair was messy, wearing his pajamas earlier than normal, but Seungmin didn’t know why.

“Why are you acting like you just saw a murder?”

“It's been two days since… the incident… and Minho hasn’t even texted me. Was he flirting with me or wasn’t he?!”

“I told you, you should just ask. Plus, if you want to see him and find out, you could ask him out on a date.”

“You sound insane, why would I ask him on a date if he has a girlfriend?!”

Seungmin pursed his lips in realization, pulling off his backpack and handing over a smoothie that he brought home for Jisung. He had kind of forgotten about Minkyeung, if he was being honest. In his mind, the flirting was so obvious that Minkyeung wasn’t a thought, but he understood why Jisung was worried about it.

“I still think you should see him at some point. If he does the same thing then it either has to be flirting or he’s dense. If he doesn’t flirt with you then maybe he was just being friendly.”

“That’s what I’m worried about, Seungmin.”

Ding. Seungmin pulled out his phone and opened his messages.

**Hyunjin:** Hey I think you forgot but you left your suitcase here like three days ago

“Damn, I forgot about that. Do you want to come with me to Hyunjin’s?”

Jisung shook his head, crawling into his bed with a cup of ramen. 

**Seungmin:** Sorry  
**Seungmin:** Can I come over to get it right now?

 **Hyunjin:** I’m not home right now  
**Hyunjin:** I can pick you up in like 20?

 **Seungmin:** Yeah just text me when you’re here

**Han Jisung:** Hey

There was no reply as Jisung sat his phone on the comforter of his bed, slurping up his noodles as Seungmin walked around the house. He thought it was weird that Seungmin always said he had no interest in Hyunjin and yet he put on a nice jacket, brushed his teeth, and tried to fix his hair.

**Minho is typing...**

**Lee Minho:** sup?

 **Han Jisung:** I’m bored

 **Lee Minho:** I would invite you over but I have homework to do

**Han Jisung is typing…**

**Lee Minho is typing…**

**Han Jisung:** when are you free?

 **Lee Minho:** are you free tomorrow?

Jisung screeched, Seungmin peeking his head from the bathroom. He had tossed his phone onto the floor from his bed, the screen lit more than Jisung’s usual. Seungmin walked over, picked the phone up, and read the messages before handing the phone back to Jisung who was obviously blushing. 

“Say yes, idiot.”

 **Han Jisung:** yeah im free

 **Lee Minho:** I'll pick you up at 7

Ring. Ring.

Seungmin answered the phone call from Hyunjin, who started talking before Seungmin could even get a breath in.

“Hey, I’m almost here.”

“I thought you were going to text me.”

“It’s easier to call when you’re driving. I’m pulling up right now, so come down,” Hyunjin said, hanging up the phone as soon as it was said.

Seungmin sighed and waved goodbye, shutting the front door and locking it behind him. He walked down the familiar hallway and out into the open sky. Hyunjin was waiting, his head hanging to look at his phone, scrolling through a social media app that Seungmin couldn’t make out at that distance. 

He opened the car door, Hyunjin looking over at him and saying a brief hello before putting his phone down. They both put on their seatbelts and pulled out of the dorm parking lot.

“Thanks for picking me up.”

“Oh, I don’t mind. It’s not a big deal.”

Seungmin hummed lightly in response, watching the sunset just under the horizon of the skyscrapers in Seoul. The towers were tinged orange and red from the sunset, the lights of shops turning on and illuminating in a plethora of colors.

The two boys pulled into the apartment building, Seungmin the first to get out, followed by Hyunjin and his backpack. Seungmin let Hyunjin lead the way, despite nearly memorizing how to get to the apartment. It was just polite.

When Hyunjin opened the door, Kkami came running from down the hallway, the pitter of paws against the wooden floors echoing in the empty room. The lights were turned on, Seungmin making note of what the apartment looked like for the second time as he shut the door behind him. As Hyunjin walked down the hallway towards his room, KKami jumped up on Seungmin’s leg, wagging his tail with his tongue sticking out.

Seungmin picked up the dog and carried him into the living room where something had grabbed his attention. The model was very pretty, seemingly made of white cardboard. The design of the building was beautiful too, the style of it proving to be Hyunjin’s. It was a modern house, but it was geometric, mainly consisting of triangles that Seungmin would have never figured would fit together in such a way. Seungmin didn’t know if the house was sound enough to stand the way it was, ledges overhanging the second story with a singular pillar holding the overhanging walls

“I see you found my project.” 

Seungmin jumped back slightly from the coffee table that the model was sitting on, surrounded by Hyunjin’s sketches of the building itself. He nearly lost his balance as he jumped back, hitting his leg against the couch.

“Ow,” Seungmin winced, using a hand to rub the pained area while still holding Kkami in the other, “Yeah, sorry, I was snooping.”

“Didn’t expect to scare you that bad,” Hyunjin laughed, walking away to the kitchen and going into one of the cupboards to grab Kkami’s food. Kkami heard the familiar sound of his food bag being opened soon after Seungmin sat himself on the couch to rub his calf. Kkami jumped off of Seungmin’s lap and bolted toward the kitchen to meet Hyunjin with his food bowl, now full of food.

“I just wasn’t expecting you, is all.”

“Whatever you say, scaredy-cat.”

Seungmin rolled his eyes and leaned back on the couch, trying to make himself as comfortable and not awkward as possible. Hyunjin joined Seungmin on the couch, the boys on opposite ends.

“I hate to be rude,” Seungmin started, “but this isn’t exactly a hang out session.”

Hyunjin looked over at the boy, wrapping his arm around the back of the couch. Seungmin looked at him for a moment, the boys locking eyes. Seungmin’s were far softer in shape than Hyunjin’s, at least when they were both blank-faced. Hyunjin’s eyes were always dark when Seungmin saw them, like he was unimpressed.

“You’re a party pooper too, then. No wonder you never went to Chris’s parties.”

“If you sat down to give me shit just let me grab my things and go. I can walk home.”

Hyunjin let out a small smile at the boy. He chuckled as his head dropped, getting up from the couch and going down the hallway to his room. He returned with the familiar suitcase, rolling it toward the door.

“You’re a feisty one, you know. Come on, I’ll take you home.”

Seungmin stood up from the couch with a huff, “Does this kid think this is a game?” he muttered to himself and he joined Hyunjin in the door frame of the apartment, taking his suitcase from his hands.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, let’s go.”

Hyunjin locked the door of the apartment and followed Seungmin down the hallway, jogging lightly to catch up with the boy who was quite a ways ahead of him. Seungmin had already hit the button to go down to the lobby of the apartment building.

“You’re quite impatient, aren’t you?”

“Thought you would have figured that out by now, Hyunjin.”

Ding, the elevator reached the ground floor, Seungmin leading Hyunjin out of the apartment and to the car. Seungmin’s hand lay on the door handle to the back seat to open, waiting for the car to unlock. The car beeped, unlocking it. Seungmin pulled the door open and put his suitcase in, getting in the front seat after Hyunjin.

The ride home was quiet, Hyunjin seemingly not wanting to push any more of Seungmin’s buttons. When the car pulled into the dorm parking lot Seungmin pulled himself and his suitcase out of the car and left without a word. Hyunjin watched Seungmin enter the dorm, carrying his suitcase behind him without looking back. With that, he left.

═════════════

“I’ve told you ten times now, Jisung. You look fine.”

“Fine isn’t good enough! What if this is a date?” Jisung asked, standing in front of Seungmin who was sitting on the floor trying to plan how he was going to hang the prints of photoshoots on his wall in the dorm. Jisung was wearing ripped blue skinny jeans with his black converse, a black tee under his favorite flannel. His hair was slightly curly from his blow-dry, chapstick and keys in his pocket that Seungmin knew he had already put on.

“Ji, if Minho can’t see how handsome you are then he’s an idiot.”

“Don’t flirt with me Minnie now that you know I’m into boys!”

“Jisung, as much as I love you, don’t flatter yourself,” Seungmin retorted, pointing a pair of scissors he was using to cut the prints at Jisung.

Jisung held up his hands in defense at the scissors, though he had no fear that Seungmin would do anything. Ding. 

“Ahh, Minho’s here!” Jisung jumped in excitement, turning around quickly to leave the dorm room.

“Go get em, playboy!” Seungmin called, the door closing as soon as it was said. He shook his head and went back to work figuring out his prints.

Jisung practically ran down the hallway toward the parking lot, his heart beating out of his chest as he saw the familiar call. The window of the car was rolled down again for Jisung, something he figured was normal for Minho. Jisung climbed into the car, Minho looking over to meet eyes with the boy.

“You look great, Ji.”

“Thank you,” Jisung muttered back, a small flush showing on his cheeks. Minho let out a smile and put on his seatbelt, pulling out of the parking lot. Jisung was glad he dressed up because Minho always dressed well. He was wearing black skinny jeans ripped at the knees, a white tee under a striped button-up shirt that was tucked in at the waist.

“So what would you like to do? We could either go out, grab coffee, and go shopping in Hongdae or we would stay in and watch a movie.”

“Movie please,” Jisung started. A movie at Minho’s house couldn’t be seen as a date right? Coffee surely would be but hanging out at home was surely not a date, even if Jisung wanted it to be.

“Movie it is. Got any preferences?” Minho asked, turning the corner to go toward his dorm on the opposite side of campus.

“Spiderman? I know it's one of your favorites.”

Minho nodded, as he drove, turning the music up when the conversation was over. He nodded his head along to the beat, tapping fingers on the steering wheel like drums. Jisung watched him in awe at the sight, finally shaking out of it when the car was parked and Minho looked over at him with a small smile.

Jisung looked away quickly as to not make eyes with the boy, taking off his seatbelt and following Minho toward the dorm. Jisung had never been to Minho or Changbin’s house, mainly because they always hung out at Felix’s. The dorm looked a bit more like his, primarily made of tiling versus the stone of the international dorms. Chris and Felix must’ve been spoiled in that regard. It was tall and matched the colors of the brick around campus, but looked more modern than the older dorms. It had bigger windows, the hallway nice despite being carpet instead of tile or concrete.

Minho pressed the elevator button, opening immediately for the two to get on. The ride up was quiet but short, Jisung looking at the design of the small box. It had silver paneling that he couldn’t see the reflection in, the button panel a sleek black with silver buttons. The elevator dinged, the doors opening for Jisung to follow Minho down the hallway of the apartment-like building.

Minho’s keys rattled when he pulled his lanyard out of his pocket, putting one of them into the door and unlocking it to push the door open. The living room was out in the open, set up similar to Chris’s but much smaller. There was only one couch on the left wall with the TV mounted on the left, a coffee table in the middle of the two, where a few white candles and a small potted plant lay. There were two bean bags that separated the living room with the kitchen. The kitchen was a decent size, a bar with three chairs replacing what would be a kitchen table. The counters were marble looking, though they probably weren’t, and the cabinets were a dark maple brown.

From the living room Jisung could see a hallway, but as a guest, he wouldn’t leave the living room unless invited. Jisung sat down on the couch as Minho went into the kitchen, sitting down next to Changbin who had waved when the pair came in but went back to his show soon after.

Minho brought back two water bottles from the kitchen before returning to microwave some popcorn. Jisung could hear the popping from the couch, looking over to see Minho leaning against the counter to watch the television while he waited, though it was likely he couldn’t see much.

Minho was stunning, and Jisung couldn’t help but stare at the boy. His dark hair was pushed back just slightly, adam’s apple prevalent on his neck. He wore a necklace that complemented his outfit and shined just a bit under the lights of the kitchen. The microwave beeped and Jisung pulled his eyes from Minho’s figure as he walked around the kitchen, bringing over the bowl of popcorn to place on the coffee table.

“Scoot and hand the remote,” Minho said through a bite of popcorn toward Changbin who did as asked, “We’re taking over.”

Jisung took off his shoes as Minho scrolled through the program on his TV to find Spiderman: Far From Home. He clicked on it, the movie immediately starting as Jisung tuned toward Minho to ask him a question.

“Where do I put my shoes?”

“Hmm?” Minho hummed as he took off his own, turning to meet eyes with the boy, “Oh, here I’ll take them.”

Minho stood from the couch, grabbing Jisung’s shoes from his hand, fingers touching ever so lightly. He brought them over to the front door where there was a shoe rack, something Jisung could’ve figured out if he was more observant. 

Jisung sighed as Minho sat down next to him, the older boy looking over at him for a moment as the movie truly started after the previews. Changbin got up after his phone buzzed in his pocket, the boy disappearing down the hallways and returning with his keys and a hoodie.

“Heading out?” Minho asked, pulling the popcorn bowl from the table to his lap.

“Yeah. Felix and I are going on a date.”

“Turn the lights off on the way out, please.”

Changbin nodded as he passed in front of the TV, fingers replying to the text message. The door opened and Changbin hit the lightswitch before shutting the door behind him. The room was now pitch black, the only light source coming from the television. Jisung glanced over at Minho, who was happily watching and eating popcorn, his face lit up by the cool colors of the movie. At this angle, his eyes glistened. Jisung knew they were beautiful, he loved looking at them, but this time it was different.

Minho looked over to meet eyes with Jisung who smiled, pulling his feet onto the couch to sit criss-cross. 

“What are you looking at?”

Jisung’s cheeks flushed a bit as he moved his hand over to grab some popcorn from the bowl, “Just wanted some popcorn is all.”

Minho handed the bowl over to place it in Jisung’s lap before leaning against the opposite end of the couch, throwing his feet up by Jisung’s legs. Jisung looked down at the bowl that had only a little bit of popcorn left. He let out a small chuckle, Minho must’ve really liked popcorn. He ate the popcorn as the movie played, watching the familiar scenes he’s seen a dozen times.

When the bowl was empty he leaned forward and placed it on the coffee table, going to lean back when his world spun. Jisung was pulled onto Minho’s lap for the second time, the older boy’s arms wrapped around his waist. He turned to look at Minho, the boys meeting eyes as a smirk spread across Minho’s face.

“Wh-why did you do that?”

“Did I scare you?” Minho giggled, turning back toward the movie.

“A bit,” Jisung muttered, placing his hands nervously in his lap. Jisung jumped lightly when Minho slid his hands under his shirt again. Minho’s hands were colder this time against his skin, Jisung sitting up straight in both nervousness and shock. He did it again. Was this flirting of friendliness?

“I’m sorry,” Minho said softly, placing his head on Jisung’s shoulder. Jisung could feel Minho’s breath on his shoulder, something that tickled ever so slightly.

“No, it’s okay,” Jisung started, gently biting the inside of his cheek as he built the courage to say what he wanted to, “I like it.”

“Jisung.”

Jisung turned his head to look at Minho, inches away from his face. Jisung let out a slow breath, one that got caught in his throat at the sight of Minho this close to him. Minho’s eyes sparkled as he looked into them, searching for a sign of what Jisung felt for Minho. He could hear his heart beating in his ears as Minho brought his head closer to Jisung’s, a small breath brushing against Jisung’s lips as Minho closed his eyes. 

Jisung’s eyes closed just as Minho’s lips brushed against his own. Jisung moved his hands to Minho’s chest as he melted into Minho’s arms. The kiss was soft, Minho’s lips molding against Jisung’s. The kiss was everything Jisung had wished and dreamed for, and he craved more of it. When Minho pulled away from their kiss Jisung followed him, trying to reach for another.

“Ji, the movie’s over.”

Jisung opened his eyes and turned to look at the screen, the credits rolling across his field of vision. He turned to Minho, who was watching him patiently.

“Does that mean you have to take me home?”

Minho nodded lightly, Jisung understanding that he got up early and it was a school night. Minho probably had homework to do, or something. Right? The boys pulled on their shoes in the dark, Minho insisting that he leave the food on the coffee table and the television on. The ride was quiet, the music drowning the confusion Jisung was in as Minho drove, his hand rested on Jisung’s thigh ever so gently. 

When the car pulled into the parking lot, Jisung turned toward Minho, half expecting the boy to say something. Anything.

“I’ll see you later Ji, sleep well.”

Jisung nodded in response, pressing his lips together in disappointment as he pulled off his seatbelt. He left the car without another word, turning back to watch Minho pull out of the parking lot. Jisung turned on his toes and entered the familiar building as he felt his eyes begin to wet.

His mind was running a thousand miles a minute as he walked to the dorm, his vision getting blurry through the tears that were falling. The door unlocked, the lights off like they normally were around this time. Seungmin was in bed with a book, lying on his stomach and facing away from the blonde.

“S-Seungmin,” Jisung whined through tears. Seungmin turned toward the boy whose voice quivered under the tears that were streaming down his face.

“Oh my god, Jisung!” Seungmin shoved his bookmark into his book and threw the covers off of himself, hopping out of his bed to meet Jisung in the entryway of the dorm. He helped Jisung dry his face even though the tears had no sign of letting up. “What happened?”

“He kissed me…”

“Then why are you crying?”

Jisung sobbed, moving his hands up to his head as he fell into Seungmin’s arms. “Is he leading me on? Was this a date or wasn’t it? Minkyeung and him are still dating so why would he kiss me? I have so many questions… and no answers!”

“Come on, let’s sleep and figure this out tomorrow.”

Seungmin helped Jisung change into his pajamas, getting him a bottle of water to drink before they both fell asleep in Seungmin’s bed. This seemed like it would become a more regular thing, though Seungmin had no problem with it.

═════════════

“Seungminnie!” 

Seungmin looked up from his position at the register as Hyeri and Seojung entered the cafe. The two girls were hand in hand as Seungmin finished up the order of a male customer. 

“Let me guess a mango-ing-crazy and a blueberry tea?”

The girls laughed as Seungmin rang them up, each paying individually.

“You heard right?” Hyeri starting, leaning over the counter as the receipts came out of the machine, “There was an emergency meeting so our classes are canceled today!”

“So we came to visit you!” Seojung chimed in, a smile spreading across her face.

“Go grab a seat! I get off in five,” Seungmin smiled, flashing a wink at them as they walked to their table. Seungmin helped clean up behind the counter as Changbin made the trio their drinks. Seungmin hung up his apron and grabbed the three drinks, bringing them to the usual booth they sat in.

“Delivery for the pretty ladies,” Seungmin hummed, putting the drinks down on the table and tossing his backpack into the booth. He slid in to sit down as the two girls grabbed their bright-colored drinks.

Ding. Hmm? Who could be texted Seungmin right after work?

**Hyunjin changed your nickname to Scaredy-cat**

**Hyunjin changed his nickname to Nose Bleed**

**Scaredy-cat:** Whyyy  
**Scaredy-cat:** I THOUGHT WE WERE OVER THIS

 **Nose Bleed:** We are but I’m still not going to let you live it down

 **Scaredy-cat:** I hate you

 **Nose Bleed:** Yeah hate you too  
**Nose Bleed:** Look I need a favor

 **Scaredy-cat:** I owe you one why?

“Who are you texting so intently?” Hyeri asked, pulling the top of his phone down from across the booth to try to read the messages.

“Hyunjin. He’s asking me for a favor.”

“What kind of favor?”

“I don’t know yet.”

 **Nose Bleed:** I let you spend the night, you punched me, you stuffed my 20 bucks in my coffee

 **Scaredy-cat:** I get it what do you want?

 **Nose Bleed:** A free photoshoot

 **Scaredy-cat:** Concept? Place? Outfit?

 **Nose Bleed:** I’ve chosen everything already. Saturday at 2 pm  
**Nose Bleed:** I’ll pick you up  
**Nose Bleed:** See you then!

“I guess we’re doing a photoshoot.”


	13. To Infinity and Beyond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.
> 
> Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_   
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_   
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_

“Oh, that’s why he asked me that!” Hyeri exclaimed, letting the phone go from trying to read the messages and return to her smoothie. Seungmin glanced at her with an inquisitive look and she quickly realized she hadn’t explained. “He texted me to ask what the next concept was for our photography class and I told him it was personal choice.”

“He doesn’t even know my style of photography. What if I hate the location,” Seungmin whined, scrolling through the text messages for the fifth time, trying to think of how he was going to take pictures when he had no concept design. “Saturday is tomorrow!”

Seungmin slumped onto the table, drinks shaking as his head hit the table. What was he going to do with this? It’s not like he worked this Saturday so there was no excuse to not go, plus if Hyunjin was going to pick him up, he wouldn’t be able to stand him up. Not that doing that was ideal but if it meant he didn’t have to do this shoot that would make him happy. He didn’t mind doing shoots for friends, but for free was something he didn’t want to do. He only did free shoots when he needed something for his portfolio and his was currently being filled with shoots from photography.

“You’ll be fine Seungmin. You spent the night at his house, right? You didn’t die so it should be fine,” Hyeri continued, patting his head aggressively to get him to sit back up.

“Yeah, but I hate not being able to concept design. It means I go into the shoot with no ideas in mind and if we go somewhere where there isn’t a lot of destination shots then everything is going to be off the top of my head.”

“Can you ask?” Seojung chimed in as Seungmin lifted his head from the table. He ran his fingers through his hair to push it back and rubbed his face in frustration.

“Doubt it. Hyunjin never tells me things if he doesn’t want me to know.”

“Then all you can do is cry.”

═════════════

**Nose Bleed is typing…**

**Nose Bleed:** Are you ready?

 **Scaredy-cat:** I guess

 **Nose Bleed:** I’m leaving right now so head outside

Seungmin sighed as he pulled his camera over his head and onto his neck. He had extra batteries in a small backpack along with a few lenses. He took his close up and distance lense as well as two of his favorites for clarity, but ultimately he might end up using none of them. He also brought a tiny tripod, just in case. Seungmin looked up at the prints he finally hung on his wall and smiled. 

“Seungmin, you are an amazing photographer,” He mumbled to himself, looking at his work, “You can take pictures anywhere, even when you’re under pressure. You don’t have to worry because these pictures aren’t even for you, so if they’re trash, it's okay. As long as your client is happy, that’s all that matters.”

Seungmin left the dorm, locking the door behind him. It was a pretty day outside, the sun beaming behind dozens of white, fluffy clouds. There was a swift, cool breeze that flooded the air, the trees waving along with it. 

Hyunjin was waiting by the entrance of Seungmin’s dorm, leaning against the wall on his phone.

“I thought you drove here?” Seungmin asked as he opened the door.

Hyunjin looked up from his phone, putting it away to answer, “I did, but it’ll be cheaper to take the Subway than for me to pay to park.”

“Pay to park?”

“You’ll find out when we get there.”

The two boys walked aside one another toward the subway station just off campus. It was a short walk, one in which Seungmin could enjoy the beautiful weather outside. He took a moment to truly look at Hyunjin. He was dressed incredibly well, a white turtleneck sweater under a beige trench-coat like jacket. He wore skinny jeans with it, rips in the knees, and was paired with white tennis shoes. His hair was fluffier than normal, but still long compared to Seungmin’s, and he had on makeup. Seungmin was surprised, as he didn’t know Hyunjin could do his own makeup. Maybe he wore makeup every day and Seungmin was just unobservant. He had on foundation, though it hardly seemed like it, along with light eyeliner and mascara and a smidge of pink lipstick.

He looked stupid attractive, at least compared to Seungmin. He was wearing a long-sleeved sweater, striped vermillion and white that was ever so gently tucked into a pair of plain blue jeans and his tennis shoes. His hair looked nice, at least, but not compared to Hyunjin’s.

Hyunjin paid for the tickets on the subway, despite Seungmin’s complaint. Seungmin half chased the older male, complaining about how he could pay for his own ticket, it was only two dollars, it wasn’t necessary, but Hyunjin simply kept walking toward the entrance of the subway car that was just about to leave.

“Hyunjin! I’m not getting on if you paid for my ticket!”

“Seungmin, please. I don’t want to wait another five minutes and waste this ticket I just bought.”

“Come on! I don’t need your help! I use the subway all the time and I have a job, there’s no need for you to pay for me.”

The subway car dinged, the doors beginning to close. Hyunjin reached out and grabbed Seungmin’s wrist, harshly pulling him onto the train just as the doors closed behind him. Seungmin’s breathing was heavier than normal, his eyes closed in fear that he would be squished in between the closed doors. 

“You’re so stubborn.”

Seungmin opened his eyes after hearing Hyunjin’s voice, his head noticeably buried in Hyunjin’s chest. He could smell his cologne though he couldn’t quite describe it. It was wood-like but still floral, and it tickled Seungmin’s nose just a bit. He turned his head upward to look at Hyunjin, who glanced down at him.

“Ahh sorry,” Seungmin muttered, taking a step back from Hyunjin’s grasp.

The car sputtered off, Seungmin stumbling backward. Hyunjin had one wrist wrapped tightly in a grip hanging from the railing as the other reached out and grasped Seungmin by the waist. Seungmin gasped as he was pulled back toward Hyunjin, the older boy bowing toward the person Seungmin had nearly stumbled into. 

“I can stand on my own,” Seungmin protested, pushing Hyunjin back gently to stable himself.

“Don’t be stupid, Seungmin. There isn’t anything for you to hold onto and this train is crowded.”

Hyunjin was right. The subway was always busy Saturday afternoons, especially to a large shopping district like Gangnam. The bus was crowded with people, both business people going to weekend meetings, students, tourists even, and Seungmin had nowhere else to stand.

Seungmin sighed and slumped into Hyunjin as they neared the first stop, Hyunjin’s arm ghosting Seungmin’s waist. The car halted to a stop very quickly, the doors opening followed by sounds of “excuse me’s” from some people behind them. Hyunjin moved to the side as much as he could, pulling Seungmin along with him, hip to hip. The group passed the pair before the doors closed, the car starting up again. Hyunjin grabbed one of Seungmin’s arms, placing it on his hip and returning his arm around Seungmin’s waist, holding him tightly as the car took off. 

“Hold on to me, alright?”

Seungmin could feel his face flush as he placed his other hand on Hyunjin’s waist, holding onto him firmly. Seungmin turned his head from the older boy, staring into the sea of people, who were either on their phones or talking in a hushed tone. There were only two more stops anyways, so all he had to do was wait and pretend his hands weren’t placed on the most attractive boy he had ever seen.

When the car stopped at the station, Seungmin quickly let go of Hyunjin and leaped out into the station, Hyunjin promptly following him. Seungmin had his hands behind his back, trying to rid his hands of Hyunjin’s waist.

Hyunjin led Seungmin out of the station and into the streets of Gangnam, pulling out his phone and pulling up a map of the city, typing in the search bar. Seungmin’s curiosity got to him as he leaned over the older boy who was walking beside him.

“The International Science Museum?” Seungmin asked inquisitively.

“Stop snooping, it’s supposed to be a surprise!”

“Why would we be going there?”

“You’re so nosey, just accept it and be quiet.”

Seungmin pressed his lips together with a nod, still obviously flustered after the endeavor on the train. Hyunjin led the way through the streets lined with tall glass buildings that the sun reflected off of. The streets were busy but Hyunjin didn’t seem to care as the museum finally came into view.

It was the only building in the modern streets that looked regal. It has a curved roof and pillars that lined the large staircase that led to the entrance of the museum. The building was white with beautiful banners of some of the attractions that they had, none of which Seungmin was truly interested in until he realized what it really was.

“Is that- an infinity room?” Seungmin asked, eyes wide and sparkling in awe as he turned toward Hyunjin at the bottom of the staircase.

“Yep. That’s where I want to take photos.”

“But I thought they were only in Japan and the United States!”

“It's a new exhibit, it opens today for students.”

Hyunjin turned to meet eyes with Seungmin, his head tilting in a perfect smile as Seungmin returned the smile in giddiness. Seungmin jumped in excitement and grabbed Hyunjin by the hand, dragging him up the staircase to the entrance of the museum.

The doors opened automatically, the pair walking in, practically hand in hand. The room was large and towering, the ceiling three stories tall, covered in paintings and sculptures. There was a golden and white chandelier than hung from the first story along with cranes and wind charms. Stunning was all Seungmin could think. Hyunjin’s wrist was still encased in Seungmin’s hand as he pulled the younger boy to the side, toward the workers to buy their entrance tickets.

“Hello and welcome to the international Science Museum, two adult tickets?” The worker asked. Her hair was long and blonde, streaks of colors underneath the light color. Her eyes were wide and she looked to appear European, though you could hardly tell by her accent.

“Yes please,” Hyunjin smiled, pulling his arm from Seungmin’s grasp to pull out his wallet. “We both go to Hyunkook University, is there any way we can visit the infinity room?” Hyunjin slid his card into the reader, paying for both tickets. Seungmin would have protested then, but he was simply too distracted with the thought of him practically holding Hyunjin’s hand to care. That protesting would have to come later.

“Of course, I can get you both wristbands if you can show some sort of identification from the University.”

Hyunjin and Seungmin both pulled out their school ID cards and showed them to the girl who then wrapped a purple wristband around both their wrists. Hyunjin thanked the girl as they entered the museum, passing several exhibits. 

“Wait, Hyunjin! You paid for me!”

“And?”

“I could’ve paid for myself! Why would you pay for me?”

Hyunjin stopped in his tracks, turning toward the boy who was now slightly too close for comfort, “Consider it the payment for the shoot, okay?”

Seungmin stayed silent as Hyunjin followed the signs toward their destination. At the end of the huge room was a worker standing patiently, answering questions about the infinity room and directing guests to other exhibits. The boy seemed young, likely in college like the other two, and when the boys approached him showing their purple wristbands he grinned.

“You’re the first people to join us in this wonderful exhibit, so come follow me!”

The boy led them down a hallway behind him, the light growing darker as the two followed the figure. The dark hallway was illuminated with small yellow floor lights as they neared the door to the infinity room.

“Is it alright for us to take photos?” Seungmin asked shyly to the boy, something that made Hyunjin look at the boy in confusion. He always knew Seungmin to be outspoken and unforgivably himself, yet here he was being reserved.

“Yes, of course. We ask that you please stay on the black platform and not onto the glass in order to preserve the effect for other guests. This infinity room was designed and created by Yayoi Kusama from Japan, and this is her first installment in Korea so we are delighted to house it. Normally there is an allotted five-minute slot per group however since we don’t have any rush and you seem to be a professional photographer, take all the time you need.”

“Thank you so much,” Seungmin bowed with a grin from ear to ear as the boy left for the entrance once again. Hyunjin opened the door, allowing Seungmin to enter first before letting the door close behind the two of them.

There truly is no way to describe the serenity of this room. There were mirrors that lined every wall, creating the infinite starlight in the room. There were hundreds of lights hanging from the ceiling of various sizes that felt like you were standing among thousands of stars. The stars from the galaxy were plucked and dripping from the mirror ridden ceiling, colors of yellow, blue, and purple. It was a feeling Seungmin couldn’t explain even if he wanted to.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

The question seemed more like a statement than anything else, but Seungmin couldn’t disagree.

“Thank you.”

“Hmm? What are you thanking me for?”

Seungmin avoided eye contact as he turned on his camera, scrolling through the settings to take photos in the dim lighting.

“Bringing me here and paying for my ticket, what else?” Seungmin retorted, holding up the camera to take a picture of Hyunjin to check the settings. He looked at the photo and deleted it before fixing a few additional settings to his liking. He took another test shot and decided that it would be good. “Let’s start then.”

Hyunjin began posing for Seungmin to start taking photos, showing his age and professionalism in modeling, something Seungmin had yet to see. He was used to directing his models and encouraging them to act normally and gracefully, but Hyunjin had no problem doing that on his own. Seungmin was continuously taking photos as Hyunjin moved among the starlight, his facial expressions soft and yet bold. His skin glistened under the lights as he wandered and it just felt so easy like Seungmin wasn’t doing any of the work.

It was only a few minutes after they started that Hyunjin approached the boy, who had taken a moment to look at the photos. Hyunjin peered over Seungmin’s shoulder as he scrolled through the near hundred photos very quickly, deleting any that were out of focus or the wrong balance as quickly as he could.

“You look amazing Hyunjin, I think that’s it.”

“Mnnmnn, not yet,” Hyunjin hummed in response, pulling Seungmin’s camera from his hands and up above his neck to grab the strap. Hyunjin put the strap around his neck and pulled the camera to his eye, pointing it at Seungmin. Seungmin’s face flushed, his eyes sparkling in the light in surprise. He hid his face as Hyunjin took photos of him, giggling encouragement behind the camera. 

“I don’t like my photos being taken, Hyunjin,” Seungmin whined, trying to block the camera from his face.

“Please Seungmin? You can delete them later if you hate them.”

Seungmin sighed and let his hands fall, trying to take a deep breath and get into a model position instead of a photographer. He tried to copy some of Hyunjin’s modeling, gaining a laugh from his audience. He giggled at himself and decided that he had to do his own style of modeling and not try to look so chic and professional. Seungmin began posing, slight smiles and beaming eyes and he took in the beauty of the room once again. It was only about twenty stills of Seungmin before he insisted they stop. Hyunjin gave the camera back but insisted he didn’t look at any of the photos until he got home to edit them. 

The pair left the infinity room behind, and although Seungmin wanted to stay and explore, Hyunjin insisted on getting lunch. Dinner? It was about four in the afternoon at this point, so it was impossible to tell. Seungmin agreed hesitantly, but the two quickly found a group of street vendors selling multiple kinds of foods. The pair got some tteokbokki and bungeoppang, eating as they walked back towards the subway station. The car was far less crowded as the ride there, Hyunjin offering the boy a seat and standing in front of Seungmin to block him in his seat.

The ride was short and sweet, nothing like the anxiety-inducing ride there. The two giggled and talked about school and the shoot, general small talk that they had always made, as they walked back to Seungmin’s dorm. Hyunjin waved to Seungmin as he entered his dorm building, the boy finding his door in the building and using his keys to unlock the door. The lights were off, but the curtains were open, flooding the room with light. Jisung was lying on the floor among snacks and his laptop, watching a movie.

“How was it?” Jisung turned, staring at the boy who had just entered the room.

“It was good, pretty easy and simple.”

Later that night, after Jisung had climbed into bed after brushing his teeth and getting into pajamas, Seungmin decided he wanted to edit the photos they had taken at the museum. Seungmin’s lights were illuminated purple as always, giving the room it's only light as he uploaded the photos from his SD card onto his laptop. It took a while to do, Seungmin on social media while he waited.

When the photos uploaded Seungmin quickly skimmed through them, picking his favorites of Hyunjin to edit. There were so many that it was practically impossible for him to choose, but he did settle on quite a few. One of Hyunjin covering part of his face with his arm, some of him simply looking into the camera and angling his head into the distance to show his jawline. There were a few of him walking among the starlight, looking forward or across his shoulder. He was an incredible model and Seungmin made note of his ability for potential shoots in the future.

He edited the photos, though there wasn’t much to edit. Hyunjin’s skin was flawless and thanks to the several minutes of figuring out the settings, there wasn’t much color correction either. This easily had to be the easiest shoot he had done. He finished about twenty of the photos and went to email them to Hyunjin, but he remembered the pictures Hyunjin had taken of himself.

Seungmin pulled them into his photo editor, making note of them. There was one of him bright-eyed staring at the camera, one of his head in his hands, and several of him walking around. His favorite though was one that Seungmin was holding a light orb in his hand gently, just slightly hanging above his head. His eyes sparkled with the reflection of the light and his expression was soft and curious. 

He edited that picture first, fixing his skin and smoothing out any issues he had. It took more effort than Hyunjin’s but in the end, Seungmin thought he looked attractive. He placed the photos in the folder for Hyunjin to have and scrolled through them again. He stopped and stared at a picture of Hyunjin. He was absolutely gorgeous.

His hair fell perfectly, framing his jawline perfectly. His jaw was sharp and exquisitely chiseled, his eyes brown but a beautiful color among the starlight. His features were sharp but beautiful nonetheless, feeling softer to Seungmin than the photos actually showed. Seungmin knew that Hyunjin’s eyes curled into crescents when he smiled, or that his cheeks were soft when he laughed. He had delicate hands and was a gentleman. He held Seungmin on the ride to the museum, let him hold his wrist for far longer than necessary, he paid for the entire trip, and even took wonderful pictures of him. Even on the subway, he stood to protect Seungmin from anyone bumping into him.

These pictures of Hyunjin made Seungmin think about everything. The way Hyunjin wrapped his hands so gently around Seungmin’s waist, pulling him closer into his chest. The way he held Hyunjin’s waist for so long, melting into his arms. The way their hands had come so close to touching and yet so far away. The way his hair framed his face or how his smile shined so brightly. The way his lips were so plump, so beautiful and pink that Seungmin couldn’t help but wonder what could’ve happened if things were different. If Hyunjin’s arm was wrapped around Seungmin’s in protection on the subway, Seungmin’s hands pawing at Hyunjin’s waist gently in comfort. The boys meeting eye contact and the older gently leaning down and connecting his pink lips to Seungmin’s.

“Fuck.”

Jisung turned from his bed, staring at the boy whose eyes were wide staring at his screen but far from reality. Seungmin didn’t curse often, let alone something so abrupt. Jisung let out a hum or confusion and Seungmin very slowly, trying to process everything in his brain that crashed together without warning, turned his head.

“I think I’m in love with Hyunjin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Mother's Day!
> 
> This chapter is a bit short but we finally get SOMETHING! Because summer has started I will be writing more often! This means a few things - one being more uploads. My goal is to post twice a week now, Saturdays and Wednesdays however the Wednesday uploads will be whatever I have finished that week, whether it be a second chapter of the current series (in this case TMH) or a oneshot/second series that will be uploaded at random when I can find the time to post. The more I write my other projects the more I realize they are far longer than the chapters here, so I guess it'll be a surprise for you all :P


	14. Family Game Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.
> 
> Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_   
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_   
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_

“You’re in love with Hyunjin?” Jisung asked, seeing the boy staring into the distance instead of making eye contact. The boy was sitting on his bed, his laptop comfortably placed on his thighs, though his legs were under the comforter to keep warm. Jisung could see from here his hands were shaking ever so slightly as they touched the keyboard. He had never seen Seungmin like this.

“Seungmin?”

The boy’s head finally turned and he moved his hands from the keyboard, pushing his hair back even though it always fell back into place.

“Sorry, I just- I’m overwhelmed.”

Jisung pulled himself out of his bed and toward the boy. He took Seungmin’s laptop and placed it on the desk, the boy watching him intently, before climbing into Seungmin’s bed with him. Jisung wrapped his arm around the boy, pulling him into his chest and laying down. The blankets were brought up to Seungmin’s neck, burying him between them and a comforting Jisung. His shakes escalated from his hands to his elbows and he felt like he could collapse at any moment.

“I’ve never seen you like this, Minnie. What’s wrong?”

Seungmin closed his eyes, trying to rid himself of his thoughts. He wanted to tell Jisung but all he could think about was high school and all the memories that came with it.

“I was bullied in high school for being gay. I know that’s not what it's like here, but I can’t help but be afraid. If I tell him and he calls me names like they-”

Seungmin’s voice got caught in his throat as the tears began to fall from his face. He hated crying, let alone feeling so helpless about everything. He couldn’t help but remember the harsh names the boys in his class called him, or that day in the bathroom where he cried and the only thing that kept him from giving up was Yejin and her kindness.

“Minnie, calm down, this isn’t like that anymore. You have me and the girls to rely on, plus if Hyunjin says something out of line, I’ll kick him to the ground!”

Seungmin couldn’t help but giggle, he wasn’t sure if Jisung really could, considering Hyunjin was quite a bit taller than the boy. Jisung had this aura to him, something that made him smile even if he didn’t want to. Even when tears were streaming down his face and he was shivering from his shakes.

“So, how did this happen?”

“I don’t really know,” Seungmin looked around the room as he thought, trying to form coherent sentences, “It couldn’t have just been today, but today made me realize it. He basically took me on a date but I put my hands on his waist and just held him like that. He held me on the subway and it was so soft and gentle. I felt like I melted in his arms. He was so close to me. It was comfortable.”

“What’s your plan then?”

“I suppose just flirting. I don’t know if he likes boys or not. The last I knew, he was making out with someone at the party we went to… though now that I think about it I probably liked him then too. I felt jealous watching him kiss that girl.”

Jisung poked Seungmin’s cheeks and fluffed up his hair teasingly. Seungmin was now in the position Jisung was just in and they would be able to work it out together. Plus, it was kind of fun for Jisung. He always wanted Seungmin to find happiness and make friends, and playing matchmaker always made things interesting.

“Don’t take this the wrong way Ji, but I love you.”

“Seungmin, I hate to tell you this but… that’s pretty gay,” Seungmin let out a laugh as he wrapped his arms around Jisung’s waist and nuzzled his nose into his neck, “I love you too.”

═════════════

“I’ve been worried to tell you guys this,” Seungmin gulped lightly, Jisung’s hand on his thigh for comfort. Had he not been there to support him this conversation wouldn’t be happening. Jisung had to convince him to tell his best friends about his confession despite Seungmin insisting it would cause problems, “but I think I need to. I know I can’t keep it from you forever.”

“Seungmin, you’re making it sounds like you’re dying,” Hyeri whined, pouting over her pink smoothie.

“You’re not dying, right?” Seojung chimed in.

Seungmin shook his head in defeat, taking a deep breath before blurting out his feelings, “I have a crush on Hyunjin.”

Both the girl’s eyes widened and shared a look with each other, then over toward Jisung who gave a small nod, then to Seungmin, who had placed his head on the table. He was worried, to say the least. Worried they would either make fun or him or not approve. Seojung would be easier to warm up to the idea, but Hyeri had known him for years and he acted like an older brother toward her. It really wasn’t likely she would approve, right?

“That’s kind of nasty,” Hyeri started, patting Seungmin’s head in an attempt to get him to raise it from the table, “but it's like you saying you have a crush on Seungwoo. I can’t find my brothers attractive, but I could help you with courting.”

Seungmin lifted his head from the table, “Thanks. You’re taking this better than I did.”

“I hardly know Hyunjin, but if Hyeri’s onboard, I’ll be on board too. I mean when’s the last time you had a crush on someone?” Seojung piped in, handing over a napkin to Seungmin, who was fake crying.

“Junior year of high school,” Seungmin quickly replied, pretending to wipe his tears before tossing the napkin at Seojung, “I confessed to a boy, who then spread rumors about me having an STD.”

“I swear if I ever meet one of these kids, I will make it my life’s quest to deck them in the face,” Jisung announced, practicing his punches and nearly knocking over his own drink across the table into Hyeri’s lap.

“I’ll kill you if you stain this skirt! Tomorrow’s “family game night” at Seungwoo’s. Obviously Hyunjin will be there and usually, it's just us three but I could ask to invite you two.”

“Hyeri, why am I not invited?!” Jisung whined, crossing his arms and pouting.

“Because I hardly know you and the tiny bit I do know I’ve decided you would definitely make it way too obvious!”

“You’re really going to drag me along so I can see Hyunjin?”

“You know what they say about love, right? If you see them more often you’re more likely to fall in love with them.”

═════════════

Hyunjin was late. Okay, sure, he didn’t _have_ to come into the cafe every morning but he _did_. The _problem_ was Seungmin had made his brew _fifteen minutes ago and he still wasn’t here._

Seungmin did his usual morning tasks, starting the brews and making sure everything was perfect for rush, but he couldn’t help glancing over at the coffee he had made for Hyunjin. He didn’t know if it was cold or not by now, and even if it was warm it was probably a stupid idea to write “Hyunjin♡” on the side.

Just when he began to forget about the drink the doorbell jingled. Hyunjin walked in, the familiar smile on his face, walking quickly to the counter. He was wearing a pink sweater and black jeans, a white button-up peeking from the collar of the sweater. His hair was getting long and looked like it needed a cut, but Hyunjin pulled it off well. Seungmin half hoped he wouldn’t cut it soon.

“You’re late!”

“I’m sorry, Seungmin,” Hyunjin let out a giggle as the other grabbed the drink on the waiting counter and tossed it in the trash, “I know you make my drinks for me so I’m not late but my class was canceled this morning so I figured I’d make something other than cereal for breakfast.”

Seungmin rolled his eyes, approaching the pos system and pressing in a new order, “Making me waste coffee too.”

“Actually, I don’t want my regular,” Hyunjin blurted out before Seungmin could ring him up fully.

“Then, what do you want?”

“A Seungmin special, specifically a smoothie or a shake,” Hyunjin smiled giving a wink at the boy.

Seungmin could feel his cheeks start to flush but he opted to ignore it and ring the boy up. Hyunjin knew it would take a moment or two to make the smoothie, but he didn’t mind so long as he could talk to Seungmin as he worked.

“So, I heard you were coming to game night tonight.”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. Hyeri invited me and Seojung. That’s okay with you, right?”

“Oh yeah, I don’t care,” _He doesn’t care if I’m there or not_ , “You’re going down though that’s for sure!”

“Is that a challenge?” Seungmin asked, writing on Hyunjin’s cup and placing the smoothie inside. Seungmin had placed whipped cream into the bottom of the clear plastic cup, drizzling chocolate and caramel down the sides. He poured the shake into the cup then placed sliced bananas on top, followed by a drizzle of honey.

“What is this drink called so I can ask you for it again?”

Seungmin took a moment to think. Usually, he never named his creations but he knew Hyunjin would ask plenty about it. “The Prince.”

Hyunjin took his drink with a smile, taking the cold cup into his hands and pressing the straw to his perfect, pink, plush lips. He smiled and nodded his head, “It’s delicious, Seungmin!”

“Yeah, yeah, just make sure you’re on time tomorrow.”

Hyunjin nodded and took another sip, leaving the cafe with his cup, signed _From Seungminnie_

**Nose Bleed is typing…**

**Nose Bleed:** Hey do you need a ride? Hyeri said you guys were going to walk but it's raining now so I’d rather pick you up

 **Scaredy Cat:** I could just take the bus there it's no big deal

 **Nose Bleed:** Okay I'll be there in 10! I’m picking up Hyeri anyways so be quiet and just accept the ride  
**Nose Bleed:** It’s starting to thunder  
**Nose Bleed:** I'll punch you back if you try to ditch me

 **Scaredy Cat:** Oh my god just shut up and drive

Seungmin left the building to see the sky was dark. Hyeri had told him not to eat anything before he came and Seojung said that she was too busy with a Madarin test to come. He had homework too, but he had to come right? When else would he have an excuse to see Hyunjin?

The pitter patter of the rain was heavier than Seungmin would’ve liked. He probably should’ve brought an umbrella, maybe Hyunjin will let him run in to grab one. It was cold out here too, he was starting to think it would be better just to run in and keep in the warmth. It wasn’t ideal for him to wear just a tee and his jeans but he figured it would be warm enough in the apartment he wouldn’t need a hoodie.

Hyunjin pulled into the parking lot, Seungmin running up quickly as the boy leaned over and opened the door for him. The rain was coming down pretty hard so it was only a matter of seconds for Seungmin to get in and close the door, shaking raindrops from his hair.

“Glad I came to pick you up now?”

“I don’t know about glad,” Seungmin said back, putting on his seatbelt and going to look at himself in the mirror of the sun visor.

“Wow, I should make you walk if you’re going to be an ass.”

Seungmin couldn’t help but giggle as Hyunjin pulled out of the parking lot toward Hyeri’s dorm, “Then let me out!”

Hyunjin threw his arm across Seungmin’s chest, pushing him back against the passenger seat, “I swear to God Seungmin I will brake check you right now!”

Seungmin burst out laughing with Hyunjin, the boy grabbing Hyunjin’s arm and pulling it down as he laughed. He loved when they bantered like this. Hyunjin’s arm fell into Seungmin’s lap, staying there for just a moment too long entangled in Seungmin’s before returning to the steering wheel to turn into Hyeri’s parking lot.

Hyeri was standing outside with her purse on her shoulder as opposed to her backpack and a pastel pink umbrella over her head. When the boys pulled up, she ran to the car, getting in and shaking her umbrella off before closing the door.

“Let's hurry, it's cold as hell.”

“It's what you get for wearing a skirt, Hyeri. You can steal a blanket at the apartment.”

“Let me steal Kkami too!”

“Hate to break it to you,” Hyunjin laughed, nudging Seungmin in the arm lightly, “But Kkami’s got a thing for Seungmin.”

“We can share, don’t worry.”

The car pulled into the familiar parking lot, the three running toward the apartment building to avoid the rain. Hyeri tried to put her umbrella up but the boys were already halfway to the entrance before she could even try. The three tried to dry off their clothes and shoes in the elevator on the way up, and by the time they had reached the apartment, it was a matter of dealing with slightly squishy socks.

Hyunjin pushed the door open, it being unlocked when he entered and Kkami barking only a few times at the guests. The dog rushed up to Hyeri to wag his tail as the girl bent down to pet him but was quickly distracted by Seungmin coming in behind her. Seungmin closed the door behind him as KKami ran around him in circles, jumping up on his leg for attention. Seungmin giggled and picked Kkami up into his arms, trying to avoid the dog’s kisses on his mouth.

“This isn't fair,” Hyeri muttered over at Seungmin as she took her shoes off to place at the door.

“Take him so I can take off my shoes,” Seungmin smiled, handing over the pup so he could lean down to unlace his sneakers.

“Hey Seungmin, how many slices of pizza do you want?” Hyunjin called from a few feet away, saying it louder since his back was turned. He was opening a kitchen cabinet to grab plates for the three of them to take to the living room.

“Just two is fine, thank you.”

“Not going to offer me?” Hyeri asked, meandering into the kitchen as Hyunjin handed over Seungmin’s plate to him.

“Nope. You practically live here and Seungmin’s still a guest. Gotta get your own pizza, short stack,” Hyunjin replied, grabbing his own plate and ruffling her hair a bit before following Seungmin into the living room.

Hyunjin sat his plate down on the coffee table that had been cleared of the decor and replaced with a box titled Betrayal at House on the Hill. Hyunjin had gone to their basket of blankets and grabbed two of them, one for Hyeri and one for Seungmin.

“Are you guys ready for Betrayal?” Seungwoo asked as he wandered from his room toward the kitchen. He was wearing black sweats and a white tee shirt, hair still pushed back from his day.

“I’ve never played this, so I’ll have no idea what I’m doing,” Seungmin blurted out as Seungwoo pushed the couch opposite Seungmin’s toward the coffee table.

“Teach him while I go change into sweats,” Hyunjin called from down the hallway.

“It’s easier to learn while you play, but I’ll try to give a rundown. We’re all going to pick a character on these character cards, your stats are whatever the card says so that should help you pick. We all start in the Entrance hall,” Hyeri began explaining as she set up the board, taking out the pieces for Seungmin to examine, “and the goal is to explore the house and collect items before the Haunt happens. I’ll explain the Haunt in a second. When you explore the house you move through an empty doorway and pull a room card that matches the level of the house you’re on, either upstairs, ground level, or basement and if it isn’t on top, just move them to the side until you find one. Sometimes the cards have special symbols on them, either a crow, a bull, or a spiral. The bulls are items, the spirals are events, and the crows are omens. Just read the card and do whatever they say. When you pick an omen card you have to roll these dice. There are six of them with sides ranging from zero to two and you want to roll higher than the number of omen cards on the table. When that happens, one of us becomes the traitor and basically tries to kill everyone while everyone else tries to stop them.”

“I’m kind of following, but you’re right it sounds easier to learn by playing. How do the stats work?”

“When you get cards they affect your stats depending on what it says. At the beginning of the game your speed is how many room spaces you can move so if your speed goes from say 3 to 2 then you can only move two spaces instead of 3.”

“Hmm, I’ll figure it out as we go,” Seungmin said, looking through the character cards to choose from. He settled on Darren “Flash” Williams, who had Speed:6, Might:3, Knowledge:3, Sanity:3. He was 20 years old and liked track, music, and Shakespearean literature.

Hyeri quickly chose Zoe Ingstrom, an 8 year old who likes dolls and music, and has stats of Speed:4, Might:3, Knowledge:3, Sanity:5.

Seungwoo sat down with his pizza next to Hyeri on the other couch, taking a bite before snagging his own character. Peter Akimoto, a 13 year old boy who likes bugs and baseball, with Speed:4, Might:3, Knowledge:4, Sanity:4.

“You guys didn’t steal Vivian right?” Hyunjin asked as he entered the living room, tying the front of his sweats into a bow around his waist.

“No, we didn’t steal horse girl,” Seungwoo replied, handing over the card to Hyunjin who sat on the same couch as Hyunjin.

“Horse girl?” Seungmin asked, meeting eyes to Hyunjin with an eyebrow raised.

“They make fun of me but Vivian is pretty cool if you ask me.”

Hyunjin handed the card over, grabbing a bite to eat while Seungmin inspected the card. Vivian Lopez liked old movies and horses with Speed:4, Might:2, Knowledge:5, Sanity:4.

“Who starts? Definitely not me since my birthday was in December?” Seungwoo asked, taking a bite of his pizza and setting up his area on the table.

“Right now it would be Hyunjin because his is the 20th. Seungmin, you don’t happen to have a March birthday before then right?” Hyeri asked, setting out the item, omen, and event cards for everyone to grab when necessary.

“Nope, my birthday’s in September.”

Hyunjin let out a hum of happiness as he looked at his character card. Four spaces. He moved one to the end of the hallway, but not upstairs, and then to the left, grabbing the creaky hallway and then moving another to the left to flip over the library.

“An event and the room tile says once per game if I end my turn here I can raise my knowledge by one, so mine goes from five to... five. Lame. Hand me an event card, Hyeri.”

“Question,” Seungmin butt in, “Why does it go up, but not change the number? I’m confused.”

Hyunjin handed over his tile to show Seungmin as he grabbed the event card, “So, you see how these two have the same numbered stats? A lot of the cards have the same number in different positions, but it's better to move up anyways because if you lose points and go all the way down on even just one of the traits, you die.”

“Hmm, okay, that’s kind of dumb.”

“Trust me, it's always better to move up even if the number doesn’t change. Okay event card. _Mists From The Walls. Mists pour out from the walls. There are faces in the mist, human and… inhuman._ Each explorer in the basement must attempt a Sanity roll. Since nobody is in the basement, it doesn’t matter.”

“Okay, so Seungmin, let’s explain this quickly,” Hyeri butt in, pointing at the card. “Hyunjin read the card and did what it said. Also he messed it up already, he’s supposed to do the event first and then the Knowledge gain because some of the event cards might move you in the house. If you get something like this - A sanity roll - you would roll three dice since you have a three for Sanity. Then depending on what you roll, you would do that. For example in this card, if you rolled four or more nothing happens, but if you roll less than for you would take damage.”

“Okay, that makes sense. Is it my turn now or does it go the other way toward Hyeri?”

“Yours,” Hyunjin said quickly, putting the event card in the discard pile.

Speed of 6. That’s a little over powered, and Seungmin had no reason to move six spaces, so he decided to go upstairs. He moved the two spaces to go upstairs, then one to an empty room. He revealed the operating laboratory with an event symbol on it.

“ _Shrieking Wind. The wind picks up, a slow crescendo to a screeching howl._ That’s basically what the storm sounds like outside,” Seungmin muttered, making note of the pouring rain against the window. There had yet to be thunder or lightning but it seemed likely that they would come. “Each explorer in the Gardens, Graveyard, Patio, Tower, on the Balcony, or in a room with an outside-facing window must attempt a Might roll… does that apply to any of us?”

“Nope,” Seungwoo said, taking back the event card from Seungmin.

“Why does this seem so uneventful so far?” Seungmin asked, grabbing his pizza to eat while they play.

“Just wait,” Hyunjin replied through a bite of pizza, nudging Seungmin’s arm, “It gets crazy pretty quickly.

Seungwoo moved to the right one, turning over the Dining Room that showed an Omen symbol.

“Ooh, first omen is on the table now. _Book. A dairy or lab notes? Ancient script or modern ravings?_ Gain 2 Knowledge now. Lose two knowledge if you lose the book. Make a Haunt roll.” Seungwoo tossed the dice, the number equaling six and well above one, “We are safe and my Knowledge goes from 4 to 6.”

Hyeri moved to the left one, running into the Gardens with an Event symbol.

“ _The Beckoning. Outside. You must get outside. Fly to freedom!_ Each explorer in the Gardens, Graveyard, Patio, Tower, on the Balcony, or in a room with an outside-facing window must attempt a Sanity roll. Okay, that's me and Seungwoo.”

Hyeri rolled five dice for a four. Seungwoo rolled four dice for a three.

“We both rolled over three so nothing happens, thank god.”

Hyunjin moved down from the Library to connect it to the Gardens, revealing the Patio and an Event symbol.

“ _Skeletons_. Well shit, find the token for me please. _Mother and child still embracing_ ,” There was a flash of lightning that made Hyeri jump in her seat, Seungmin looking toward the window. Hyunjin continued reading after a small giggle, “Put the skeleton token in this room. Take 1 die of Mental damage.”

“Mental damage is Knowledge or Sanity,” Seungwoo explained while Hyunjin tossed a singular die, “You choose which one you want or you can split it up too.”

“One, thank god. I’ll move my Knowledge down back to normal. Okay, once during an explorer’s turn, that explorer can attempt a Sanity roll to search the skeletons, which I will try to do right now. Three, damn. You dig around but find nothing. Take a die of mental damage. Zero!”

Hyunjin tossed the skeleton card on the table as he leaned back into the couch, dramatically holding his chest. Hyeri moved the card and the token next to the Patio for the next person to try to get the item.

Seungmin moved to the right of the Laboratory, pulling the bedroom with an Event tile.

“ _Image in the mirror_. There is an old mirror in this room. Your frightened reflection moves on it's own. You realize it is you from another time. Your reflection writes on the mirror: This will help, then it hands you an item through the mirror. Draw an item card.”

Hyeri handed the item card over, reading, “ _Lucky stone. A smooth, ordinary-looking rock. You sense it will bring you good fortune_. After you attempt a roll of any kind, you can rub the stone once to reroll any number of those dice. Discard this item after you use it.”

Seungmin placed the card next to his character tile as Seungwoo moved his character up to connect the Dining Room to the Mystic Elevator.

“Oooh fun! With the mystic elevator, you roll two dice and move the mystic elevator to whatever floor you roll. I rolled a… four so I can move to any floor I want and I am going to move… up to the second floor with Seungmin. I can still move right?”

Hyeri gave a nod, it becoming apparent to Seungmin that she had played the most compared to the boys. Seungwoo moved to the left, opposite of the direction Seungmin was going, to pull the Chapel and an Event symbol.

“Still no omens yet besides mine. _Disquieting Sounds. A baby’s cry, lost and abandoned. A Scream. The crack_ -” The apartment shook as the sound of thunder rolled around the room, causing even Seungmin to jump in his seat. Hyunjin laughed and pushed Seungmin teasingly, Seungmin punching him back. “Damn, that was loud. _The crack of glass. Then silence._ Roll 6 dice. If you roll more than the number of omens you gain 1 Sanity. I rolled a 6 so I move from a 4 to a 5.”

Hyeri moved into the patio in an attempt to unlock the skeletons for an item. She rolled five dice for a total of 7, a very lucky role in which she received the item, Pickpocket’s Gloves.

“ _Pickpocket’s Gloves. Helping yourself has never seemed so easy._ When you are in the same room as another explorer, you can discard this item to take any item that explorer is carrying. Nice! This might come in handy during the Haunt.”

Hyunjin moved down past the patio, now that the Skeletons had been searched, to reveal the Bloody Room with an item symbol.

“ _Armor. It’s just prop armor from the renaissance fair, but it’s still metal._ Any time, (not just once per turn) you take physical damage, take one less point of damage. This item cannot be stolen. Sweet! Try beating me up now, future traitor!”

Seungmin moved right, connecting the bedroom to the Organ room, which did not have blood and guts, only a lone organ for playing probably awful music. There was also an event.

“Rotten. The smell in this room, it’s horrible. Smells like death, like blood. A slaughterhouse smell.” Seungmin shivered at the thought of the room, something that Hyunjin nearly giggled at. “You must attempt a Sanity roll. I rolled a three so I lose one Might. Two more until I die, but at least, I still have 3 points I guess.”

Seungwoo moved two spaces to the right, moving through the entrance of the upper level to reveal the Charred Room with an omen symbol.

“ _Bite. A growl, the scent of death. Pain. Darkness. Gone._ When you draw this card, something bites you. The player on your right - Seungmin - rolls a Might 4 attack against you for the mysterious something (before it runs away into the darkness). You defend against this attack as normal, by rolling dice equal to your Might. This omen can’t be dropped, traded, or stolen, make a haunt roll. Well shit. Seungmin, please roll low for me.”

Seungmin rolled four dice to equal one. Seungwoo rejoiced by throwing his hands up in the air after Seungmin’s awful roll, then rolled his dice to equal two. Seungwoo jumped up, punching the air in excitement that made everyone else laugh around the table despite the rolling thunder and heavy rain outside.

Hyeri moved through the Patio and the Bloody Room to reveal the Junk Room with an Omen sign. This tile also states in order to leave you must do a Might roll of 3+ or you lose 1 Speed.

“ _Spear. A weapon pulsing with power._ ” A crash of thunder sounded in the room, causing Hyeri to jump in her seat and then roll her eyes, “What is this Thor’s hammer? You roll two additional dice (maximum of 8 dice) when making a might attack with this weapon. You can't use another weapon while you are using this one. Make a haunt roll. Alright, higher than three, baby! Seven!”

Hyunjin moved left of the Bloody Room instead of going into the Junk Room so he wouldn’t have to roll to leave, entering the Coal Shoot, a one way slide to the basement.

“Okay, well, shit,” Hyunjin sighed, placing his character in the basement.

“What's the problem?” Seungmin asked.

“It's not a problem to go to the basement. The problem is, I have no way to get back up,” He replied, moving his character a space over in the basement to reveal the Abandoned Room and an Omen symbol.

“ _Mask. A somber mask to hide your intentions._ Once during your turn you can attempt a Sanity roll to use the Mask. 4+ you can put on or take off the mask. If you put on the mask, gain 2 Knowledge and lose 2 Sanity, if you take it off these reverse. 0-3 you cannot use the mask this turn. My knowledge is higher than Sanity so I’ll just keep this for now and make a haunt roll… seven. We’re safe for now.”

Seungmin left the organ room into the Gallery, which has an omen symbol but does not connect to Seungwoo’s Charred Room.

“Oh, this one is simple. _Skull. A skull, cracked and missing teeth_ ,” thunder rolling in the background as the lights flicker. “That's not terrifying at all. If you take mental damage, you can take all of it as physical damage instead. Make a haunt roll… Seven.”

Seungwoo moved forward to reveal the Vault. This room has an event, however, if a user succeeds a Knowledge roll of 6+, they can open the vault and receive two items.

“Hell yes! Gotta do the event first, but you know I’m going for those items!” Lighting flashes the room, followed by thunder just a few seconds later. Hyeri has pulled her feet up to her chest under the blanket, and Seungmin scoot from the window, ever so slightly toward Hyunjin. He wasn’t scared per se, but he didn’t appreciate where he was in the room. “ _Night view. You see a vision of a ghostly couple watching the grounds, silently strolling in their wedding best._ You must attempt a knowledge roll… I got a six which says: You recognize the ghosts as former inhabitants of the house. You call their names, and they turn to you, whispering dark secrets of the house. Gain 1 knowledge, which brings me up to seven.”

“You’re too overpowered. I swear if you end up being the traitor again I’m going to riot,” Hyeri whined, punching Seungwoo’s shoulder.

“We’re about to find out when I try to get these items from the vault!”

“Oh my god, you’re going to get them, you need a 6 out of 7 die!” 

“Hyeri, I’m going to kill you!” Seungwoo yelled, pushing her over on the couch to tickle, “I rolled a three because you jinxed me!”

Seungmin snorted, laughing at the pair who reminded him of Jeongin. He missed him a lot and he would probably love this game. Maybe he would try to borrow or buy it to play with his friends over spring break.

“Stop fighting and let Hyeri do her turn,” Hyunjin laughed, his eyes turning into cresents with a hand pulled up to his mouth as his chest moved up and down. He looked gorgeous like this, and Seungmin couldn’t help but stare at him for just a moment too long, just long enough for Hyunjin to notice and lock eyes. Seungmin turned away, hoping Hyunjin hadn’t noticed that or the flush of his cheeks, but he probably did.

Hyeri rolled a Might roll for exactly 3, getting out of the junk room and into the Ballroom with no loss of speed. This room has an event that Hyeri was glad to have instead of another Omen, in fear of starting the Haunt.

“ _Burning Man. Ugh that’s disgusting. A man on fire runs through the room. His skin bubbles and cracks, falling away from him and leaving a fiery skull that clatters to the ground, bounces, rolls, and disappears._ You must attempt a sanity roll. Three which says: Out, out, you must get out. Put your explorer in the entrance hall.” 

Hyeri moved her character back to the beginning with a small sigh as Hyunjin moved his piece into the next room. The furnace room, with an omen symbol.

“ _Holy Symbol. A symbol of calm in an unsettling world._ Gain 2 sanity now, lose 2 sanity if you lose the holy symbol. Make a haunt roll. Seven again. We’re cutting this way too close…Oh and I take a die of physical damage because I ended in the furnace room. One. I’ll move my Speed down one because it's still four.”

Seungmin moved into the collapsed room, reading the instructions aloud.

“You must attempt a speed roll of 5+ to avoid falling. If you fail the roll, draw a basement tile and put it in play. You fall there and take 1 die of physical damage. I rolled a… two with six dice, wow that sucks.” Seungmin pulled a basement tile, revealing the larder with an item symbol. “ _Sacrificial Dagger. A twisted shard of iron covered in mysterious symbols and stained with blood._ When making a might attack with this weapon, you roll 3 extra dice (max of 8), but you must make a knowledge roll first with different things that happen. You can’t use this weapon while using another weapon.”

Seungwoo immediately rolled his dice, “Let’s get these items, baby! An eight! Hell yes, gimme those items! _Bell. A brass bell that makes a resonant clang._ Gain 1 sanity now, lose 1 if you lose the bell. Once during your turn, after the haunt is revealed, you can attempt a sanity roll to use the bell: 5+ Move any number of unimpeded heroes one space closer to you, 0-4 the traitor can move any number of monsters 1 space closer to you. Okay, at least my Sanity is pretty high. _Idol. Perhaps it’s chosen you for some greater purpose. Like human sacrifice._ Once per turn, you can rub the idol before making any trait, combat, or event roll to add 2 dice to the roll (max of 8). Each time you do, lose 1 Sanity.”

Hyeri moved from the entrance through the dining room and into the Graveyard, an event symbol and the tile reading: when exiting, you must attempt a Sanity roll of 4+. If you fail, lose 1 Knowledge.

“ _Creepy Puppet._ Ew, I hate dolls! _You see one of those dolls that give you the willies. It jumps at you with a tiny spear,_ ” Thunder rolls through the apartment as all four jump in their seats.

“The storms getting pretty bad outside, huh?” Hyunjin commented, tapping Seungmins knee to ask without words if they could share the blanket. Seungmin scoot over and tossed part of the blanket over Hyunjin’s legs. They were close, close enough Seungmin could feel Hyunjin’s arm against his own, thighs touching ever so slightly. He could only dream about Hyunjin wrapping his arms around his waist again like he did on the subway.

“Yeah it is, but I don’t want to leave the game unfinished, especially when Seungmin’s never played,” Hyeri replied, Hyunjin nodding his head and allowing the girl to finish reading her card, “The player to your right - Seungwoo - rolls a Might 4 attack for the creepy puppet. You defend this attack as normal. If you take any damage from this attack, the explorer with the spear gains two might (unless you have the spear). I have the spear, but we still have to see if I take any damage.”

Seungwoo rolled a three, Hyeri a two, taking one point of Might but leaving her at three.

Hyunjin moved through the abandoned room and down into the Underground Lake with an event symbol.

“ _The voice. I’m under the floor, buried under the floor… the voice whispers once, then is gone._ You must attempt a knowledge roll. Three, you dig and search for the voice but to no avail. Lame.”

Seungmin moved from the Larder into the Storeroom with an item symbol.

“ _Angel Feather. A perfect feather fluttering in your hand._ When you attempt a roll of any kind, you can call out a number from 0 to 8. Use that number instead of rolling the dice. Discard this item after you use it. That’s nice, thank god.”

Seungwoo moved through the charred room, gallery, and the collapsed room, choosing not to fall to either the ballroom or the basement and instead move into the balcony, showing an omen symbol.

“ _The Ring. A battered ring with an incomprehensible inscription._ If you attack an opponent that has a Sanity trait, you can attack with Sanity instead of Might. (Your opponent then defends with Sanity, and damage is mental instead of physical). Make a haunt roll.”

Seungwoo rolled the dice, the four of them counting and then sighing. The haunt had begun with a roll of three and the omen count totaling seven. Thunder rolled, the lights flickering again in the silence.

“So, what happens now?” Seungmin asked, leaning back against the couch.

“We look at the manual to see who the traitor is. Whoever the traitor is goes into a different room to read their booklet and find out what they have to do while the other three read their booklet together to figure out how to stop them,” Seungwoo said, pulling the booklets out of the box, “Let’s just pray the traitor isn't you, Seungmin, because it can be hard when it’s your first time.”

“The room is the balcony and the omen is the ring,” Hyeri says as Seungwoo looks at the booklet.

“It says Vivian Lopez. Hyunjin, take your book and get out of here so we can kick your ass.”

Hyunjin took his booklet and disappeared to his room, Hyeri grabbing the book to read their own set of directions.

“ _Ghost Bride. An apparition in white lace shimmers into view, “You’ve left me all alone these long years,” speaks a feminine voice, “but I waited. For you. For our wedding.” The ghost glides toward one of your fellow explorers and says, “Once you’re dead like me, we will be together forever.” The ghost fades, but the faint sound of an organ playing a wedding march sighs gently through the house._ Right now: If the crypt isn’t in the house, search the room stack for it and put it in the basement, then shuffle the stack. Seungwoo do that for me, please. I’m assuming we don’t want it close to Hyunjin, but also this is problematic because if we have to get back up, we still don't have a way out of the basement.”

Seungwoo placed the Crypt only two spaces from Hyunjin, connected to the basement landing. This is unfortunately the farthest place they could put it since the basement isn’t well explored, with an undone event space and text reading “If you end your turn here take one point of mental damage.”

Hyeri continued, “What you know about the bad guys: the ghostly bride thinks one of the explorers is her new groom. You win when: you find the wedding ring (the ring card), which we already have, and the body of the real groom, then present them to the Bride in the Chapel before she marries your friend. How to stop the ghost’s wedding: You must discover the groom’s name and his buried body. Then you must take the body and ring to the chapel so you can put the bride's soul to rest and stop the wedding. To do this you must follow these steps in order, each step only being attempted once per turn. 1) You attempt a knowledge roll of 5+ in the bedroom, dining room, or library, or while examining the book (her old diary) to figure out the real groom’s name. 2) Attempt a knowledge roll of 4+ in the Crypt to locate the body of the bride’s real groom. 3) Once the body is discovered you can attempt a might roll of 4+ to disinter it. 4) Once the body is disinterred, carry it to the Chapel (use the corpse token to represent the body). Since the body is heavy, moving into a new room takes two speed and you can pass the body like you would an item. 5) Carry the ring to the chapel, it doesn't matter whether the body or the ring reaches it first. Special Attack rules: You must possess the ring to make Sanity attacks against the bride, otherwise, she can’t be attacked.”

Seungwoo piped up, “Well, that sucks that there are so many steps and one of them means going into the basement with no way back out. Also, sorry Seungmin that your first time playing had such a complex haunt.”

“It’s okay, I’m having a lot of fun!”

“Are you done?!” Hyunjin called from his room, the three replying with a loud “Yes!”

Hyunjin entered the living room, pulling out a crimson “Bride” token and putting it in the underground lake with Hyunjin. He also pulled out the turn counter, setting it to the side, followed by placing a crimson corpse token in the Crypt the other group had put in the basement. He also searched for the Chapel and placed it next to the junk room so you have to succeed a might roll of 3+ in order to move into the Chapel. The Chapel also has an undone event along with text that reads “If you end your turn here gain 1 sanity.”

“Seungmin, you go first, good luck,” Hyeri said, making her fist’s into a cheering sign, “Oh and try not to tell Hyunjin anything about what our booklet said. We know stuff he doesn’t and he knows stuff we don’t, so spilling information helps the other side win.”

Seungmin knew they had to go to the crypt, but it was more important for them to find a way out of the basement. Because of this, he moved through the larder, basement landing, and the abandoned room to reveal the Chasm. No symbols, but text stating you can attempt a speed roll of 3+ to cross. If you fail, you stop moving.

Seungmin rolled six dice totaling five, the boy continuing past the Chasm to reveal the stairs that leads to the entrance room. Now, the characters can move freely back and forth from the basement to the ground floor, the only problem being the Speed roll to cross the Chasm. Seungmin could move one more space into the foyeur, but he planned on staying in the basement before being told both Hyunjin’s character and his Ghost could ignore the chasm roll.

Seungwoo’s turn was next, something that would be important since he had the ring. Ultimately, he had the ring so he could attack and stun the Ghost Bride. Plus with his position he could pretty easily get into the Crypt. He moved into the collapsed room, taking the one die of physical damage (1 point, lowering his speed from 4 to 3 to keep his might up in fear he could be killed that way) into the Larder. He then moved into the basement landing but not into the Crypt (so as to not take the point of mental damage for ending his turn), not able to roll to receive the body of the groom until Hyeri found out the groom's real name in the dining room. They had whispered this plan to each other while Seungmin was busy trying to find the stairs the turn before.

Hyeri moved into the dining room, picking up three dice to attempt the knowledge roll of 5+, getting exactly 5 a very lucky roll.

“Hyunjin, I succeeded! What is the groom’s real name?”

“Uhh… the book doesn’t say so, Steve?” Hyunjin shrugged as the thunder rolled followed by a flash of light, another roll coming in soon after. “My turn?”

Hyunjin moved through the abandoned room to meet Seungwoo in the Basement landing, attacking him with Might. Hyunjin rolled two dice for a total of three. Seungwoo rolled three dice but only equaled two points, which meant he took one point of physical damage. He took his might down a point since it kept his dice number the same if Hyunjin attacked him again. 

Hyunjin then moved his Ghost Bride into the basement landing to attack Seungwoo again. She rolled with Sanity instead of Might, with six dice totalling five points. Seungwoo returned a roll with six dice totalling seven. He took no damage, but stunned the bride for her next turn.

Seungmin moved down the stairs and into the chasm, successfully crossing and moving into the basement landing to attack Hyunjin. There was a flash of lightning as Seungmin rolled his three dice to total two, Hyunjin rolling a one. Hyunjin moved his speed down a point, though it still remained at 4. 

Because there were two opponents in the basement landing it would take four speed to leave the room and pass. Thanks to stunning the Ghost bride, it was only two, since the speed doubles if there is an enemy in the room. Seungwoo entered the Crypt, rolling a seven out of seven dice and successfully locating the body. He took one point of mental damage, which moved his knowledge from 7 to 6, however both his knowledge and sanity were high so there wouldn’t be too much of a difference. Hopefully not, anyways.

Hyeri entered the basement and rolled for the Chasm, falling short by a point and being stuck on the other side, away from her friends.

Hyunjin, instead of moving into the Crypt and attempting to kill Seungwoo, attacked Seungmin. His two dice equaled three. Seungmin’s three dice equaling two. Seungmin lowered his speed from 6 to 5, far from being dead. Hyunjin’s Ghost Bride had been revived.

Seungmin had a choice now. Attack Hyunjin or attack the Ghost Bride. Seungmin knew she rolled six dice for Sanity, and his was only at three… Hyunjin, it was. Oh, and even if he wanted to, Seungwoo was the only person that could stun her, which he had forgotten about entirely. Seungmin rolled only a one out of three dice. He sighed and leaned back into the couch as Hyunjin rolled a three. He moved his speed down two points, moving from a five to a four. This wasn’t looking good.

Seungwoo rolled his three might to total four, exactly what he needed. He picked up the corpse and the new problem arose. It took two speed to move into a new space with the body, plus the two spaces to move past Hyunjin while the Ghost Bride was stunned and six if she wasn’t. He had four, only being able to move if he stunned the Ghost bride who was currently active again. And because he had to end his turn in the Crypt, he lost another point of knowledge. As long as his Sanity was up to stun the Ghost, it would be okay.

Hyeri rolled again to cross the Chasm, being successful this time and moving to attack Hyunjin. They both rolled two, nothing happens.

Hyunjin attacked Seungmin with his character, both equaling two so nothing happens again. The ghost bride attacks Seungmin as well, rolling four to Seungmin’s two which forces him to lose one might. If he loses another attack from Hyunjin or the Ghost Bride, he would be dead.

Seungmin could only run, right? If he ran it would take four speed, all that he has only to go a room over. That wouldn’t be helpful anymore, right? Should he sacrifice and run into the Crypt for Seungwoo to try to attack the Ghost Bride? That was the best option, right? So he did, taking a point of mental damage, moving knowledge down but staying at three, for Seungwoo to protect him.

Seungwoo moved from the Crypt with the body, attacking the ghost bride with the ring, winning by a landslide to stun her. That would be good for Seungmin to run away.

Hyeri attacked Hyunjin, rolling two’s and nothing happening.

Hyunjin attacked Seungwoo, winning from the most unlucky roll of four to one. Seungwoo moved his speed down to almost dead, leaving it at three. He needed both his speed and might and was struggling now with these numbers. Ghost bride unstunned, doing nothing else that turn.

Seungmin sighed, his plan did not work. The ghost bride would awake before he could move from the Crypt. He stayed in the Crypt, opting to take another point of damage until they would figure this out.

Seungwoo attacked the ghost bride, unable to do anything else. Seungwoo lost, but he still couldn’t move until they killed Hyunjin. This was not looking good at all.

Hyeri beat Hyunjin by one point, Hyunjin moving his might down a point.

Hyunjin attacked Seungwoo, winning by a point and forcing him to drop the body and the ring which he left on the ground for his Ghost bride to hold onto. She then moved into the Crypt and attacked Seungmin, rolling a point and ultimately killing him.

“Shit, both of you in one turn?!” Hyeri exclaimed, Seungwoo leaning back into the couch in disappointment. Would this even be possible at this point?

Hyunjin wrapped an arm around Seungmin, “Yes! Hate to tell you this but, you’re about to be my groom, Seungminnie!”

 _Seungminnie. He had never called him that before._ Hyunjin moved his ghost bride and Seungmin’s character into the chapel and finishing his turn.

“Does that mean I’m on your side now?” Seungmin asked.

“Well, you can’t exactly move or do anything now that you’re dead, but I think as my soon-to-be-husband, you should support your wife.”

“I’d rather root for my friends from the grave,” Seungmin muttered, jumping lightly in Hyunjin’s arms with a roll of thunder.

“You win then, since when I hold the body it takes two spaces instead of one.”

“Here, let's fudge the rules so this is more interesting, yes? It still will take two points to run away from me, but it won’t take two to move the body,” Hyunjin suggested, a smirk across his face.

“Deal,” Hyeri blurted out, moving away from Hyunjin, successfully crossing the chasm and ending at the bottom of the stairs.

Hyunjin followed her, attacking at winning by one point, which in the end did nothing to Hyeri’s health. Hyunjin moved the counter from 0 to 1.

“Seungmin,” he whispered in his ear, causing the boy to straighten his back and shiver at the hot breath on his ear, “When the counter reaches three I win… then you’ll have to be married to my ghost bride.”

Hyeri moved her four spaces into the library, four tiles away from the chapel. She was so close and so far… but she had no idea how many turns the wedding took to complete like Seungmin did. Of course, it's not like he could tell her, or that it would make a difference.

Hyunjin followed her, attacking and hurting him by a point but not killing him. The counter rose to two.

One more turn. There is no way Hyeri is making it in time.

Hyeri moved one tile away from the Chapel, Hyunjin following and attacking her which ended up killing him. The counter moved to three and Hyunjin took Seungmin’s hands in his own. Hyunjin opened his booklet to read what the text said about the situation. 

“ _An apparition in white lace shimmers into view. “You've left me alone these long years,” speaks a feminine voice, “but I waited. For you. For our wedding.” The ghost glides toward one of your fellow explorers and says, “Once you are DEAD LIKE ME, we can be together FOREVER.” The ghost fades, but the faint sound of an organ playing a wedding march sighs gently through the house. Tears come to your eyes. You hate it when love is denied. You’re going to see this wedding through… whether the groom wants it or not. Weddings always make you cry._ ”

There was a flash of lightning, immediately followed by thunder, and then the room went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yalls better hype me up because first of all, you're getting two chapters in a week, and second of all, I played this board game by myself just to write this chapter. I don't even own this board game (I'm buying it tomorrow just bc it was awful writing this) so I just googled everything and used google to randomize numbers so really it took way too much effort for a really fun chapter. It's so long, so I'm sorry. I was going to cut it down but Queen_Whovian insisted it was good and I keep it so here you go~


	15. Instagram (not sponsored)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.
> 
> Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_   
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_   
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_

The lights had gone out. Seungmin could see nothing at all, but he could feel the warmth of Hyunjin’s hands holding his own. He jumped when the lights went out, something Hyunjin very much noticed. Hyunjin wrapped his arm back around Seungmin, pulling him close and rubbing his arm ever so gently to calm him down from the small scare.

Seungwoo was the first to pull his phone out and turn on the flashlight, followed by Hyunjin.

“Everyone okay?” Seungwoo asked, shining his flashlight around. Hyunjin and Seungmin were obviously fine, neither looked frightened, though Hyeri was a different story. She was curled up under her blanket staring at all of the boys in fear.

“Don’t say anything.”

“Okay, let me go find some candles. Don’t move, I’ll be right back.”

Hyunjin placed his phone face down on the coffee table, the flashlight facing upward to illuminate the room just enough.

“Are you okay, Seungmin?” He asked, bundling the blanket that the pair had shared around Seungmin.

“I’m fine, just jumped a little. I’m not scared of the dark or anything, so don’t worry about me,” Seungmin muttered back, letting his fear settle a bit in the warmth of the blanket.

Hyunjin got up and wandered down the hall toward his bedroom. Now that the lights had been out for a minute, it was easier to see in the dark and the flashlights were helpful but not the most necessary. Seungmin figured Hyunjin would know his own house well enough to not be hurt fumbling around in the dark.

The flashlight did an okay job of lighting the room, Hyeri and Seungmin moving to put all the pieces from Betrayal back into the box while the boys looked for candles in their rooms. Seungmin didn’t actually know how many candles the boys actually had, but just one or two should be enough.

Seungwoo returned with a few things, a stack of two candles, a plush Pikachu, and a lighter. He tossed the Pikachu on the couch for Hyeri, which she gladly took to cuddle under the pounding rain and rolling thunder outside. He placed the candles on the table and lit them, both three-wick candles that lit the room well enough to see.

Seungmin tossed his blanket behind him, grabbing Betrayal and the decor that was on the coffee table. Sure, it looked amazing here and Hyunjin was spectacular at his job, but it would be safer to move them. They did not need a faux potted plant to be set on fire.

Hyunjin entered the room with another candle, putting it into the bathroom to light it.

“Time to go home, then,” Seungmin sighed, grabbing his phone from the couch he had abandoned.

“It’s not safe for you to go home,” Seungwoo stated as Hyunjin returned from the bathroom.

“There’s no way I’m bringing you home with the weather like this,” Hyunjin nodded, “We sharing the couches then?”

“Yeah, we’re going to have to,” Seungwoo agreed, patting Hyeri’s head softly as he walked toward his room for the second time. 

“Do you want a big blanket or a small blanket?” Hyunjin asked, pulling on a black hoodie of his over his shoulders now that the heat had turned off.

“A big one, please,” Seungmin replied, sitting down on the couch in defeat, “It’s getting cold already.”

Hyunjin replied with a hum as he disappeared into his room, Seungwoo coming back with pillows for Hyeri and him, along with his comforter, tossing them both onto the opposite couch. The pair had lied down on the couch, legs entangled with heads on opposite sides.

Hyunjin returned with pillows and his own comforter, placing one at the opposite end of where Seungmin sat, tossing the other pillow for him to lie on. Seungmin placed the pillow behind him, sitting sideways on the couch as Hyunjin tossed the blanket onto the couch. Seungmin was downed in the large comforter, but in the cold of the apartment, he didn’t mind. The comforter was warm and soft, a bit heavy that felt like a warm hug. 

Hyunjin lied down on the couch, head resting against the pillow, allowing his legs to stretch out as best as they could. Seungmin let out a sigh as he pulled out his phone. It was, at least, fully charged. He set an alarm for five and shoved his phone back in his pocket. He slowly crept down, his legs entangling with Hyunjin’s as best as they could. Both of the boys were pretty tall, which made sleeping like this on the couch fairly uncomfortable, but not impossible.

Hyunjin’s eyes were already closed and Seungmin would tell Hyeri was sleeping already. Seungwoo looked on the brink as well, which left Seungmin to his thoughts. He stared at the ceiling, watching the lights of the candle bounce and shift. This sucked. He probably should’ve texted Jisung, even just to ask if the lights were working or not, but he figured at this point it would be useless. It was late and even if he was up, if the lights were out, his phone would be dead. 

“Seungmin,” Hyunjin muttered, soft enough Seungmin had hardly pulled his attention from the sight of the dancing light. Seungmin looked at Hyunjin, whose arms were crossed and eyes still closed. “You have to sleep.”

“Sorry, I’ve just got a lot on my mind,” Seungmin admitted, this whisper barely leaving his lips. He did have a lot to think about. Midterms were next week and he needed to study, he didn’t know if his roommate was okay or not in the darkness of their dorm, he didn’t know if the coffee shop would have power for his shift tomorrow, and he sure as hell didn’t know how to act around Hyunjin. 

Seungmin played with his hands, remembering the warmth of Hyunjin’s. Was that flirting? He was just playing the role of his character but even after that, he had wrapped his arm around Seungmin. It was only for a moment, but it was the most calming thing he had experienced since the subway. He loved it when Hyunjin wrapped his arm around Seungmin’s waist. He craved it. But now, he was just stuck on a couch with him, legs entangled in the worst possible way.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Hyunjin asked, opening his eyes to meet them with Seungmin’s. Seungmin simply shook his head and looked back at the ceiling. It was too complicated to explain.

“Are you comfortable enough?” Hyunjin asked, leaning up a bit and moving his legs to the side, so they were no longer twisted together. Seungmin already missed the loss of contact but it was more comfortable like this anyways, “Warm enough?”

Seungmin nodded and closed his eyes, praying for sleep to come soon. It didn’t but it came eventually, and that was really all he needed.

He felt the buzz before the sound of music. His stomach churning with the vibration of his phone alarm going off. The sound was muffled, Seungmin quickly pulling it out and turning it off. He looked around the room, the candles no longer lit and wax rehardened. Nobody had stirred, thank god, but he did have to get up, unfortunately.

He checked his phone for any texts from Jisung, to find there weren’t any. He threw his legs over Hyunjin’s while still under the blanket, checking every few seconds to see if Hyunjin had stirred.

He stood up and stretched into the air, the sun still not peaking over the horizon. The room looked just as dark and gloomy as always and there was no being able to tell whether power was on or not at the moment. Seungmin took a step forward, moving to find his shoes when he felt drag.

Seungmin felt like time had slowed down and sped up all at once. He had caught his ankle in the comforter and now he was falling. His instinct was to grab onto something, anything but he wasn’t prepared for the fall either way.

Seungmin let out a groan as he felt pressure on his stomach, his eyes closed in both fear and pain. He opened his eyes to be met with Hyunjin, now supporting himself on top of Seungmin. His eyes were closed shut, groaning of pain and waking up in his throat. He used one hand to hover over Seungmin, the other wiping his eyes from the crust of the night. He looked heavenly like this. Sweats and a hoodie, hair long and slightly disheveled. His lips were pink and perky, tempting to Seungmin.

“Seungmin, what are you doing?” Hyunjin asked, wiping his other eye. His voice was croaky and huskier than normal, his body trying to start up after his unexpected fall from the couch.

“I need to go home and get ready for work,” Seungmin whispered, body stiff as a board and unable to slither from under the older boy.

“What time is it?”

“Five.”

Hyunjin let out a whine, letting his head fall in defeat. He finally opened his eyes to meet Seungmin’s, the younger boy’s brown eyes shifting nervously between Hyunjin’s.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m just waiting for you to get off.”

Hyunjin sighed and sat up, Seungmin pulling himself from under the boy. Seungmin stood up and found his shoes, tying them as Hyunjin smacked his face in hopes of waking up more.

“Why are you leaving so early?”

“I don’t know if the power is on at the cafe so I need to go before I normally open to find out. Plus breakfast, showering, and everything. Plus, I don’t know if the subway is working or not so I might have to walk-”

“I’m taking you. You aren’t walking.”

Seungmin stopped tying his shoe, glancing over at the boy who was patiently watching him get ready to leave.

“You don’t have to do that, Hyunjin.”

“I’m already awake because of you,” Hyunjin sighed, standing on his feet and walking toward the hallway, Kkami running from his room to meet Seungmin on the couch now that people were awake, “It’ll only take me a few minutes to get ready and feed Kkami then I’ll take you home so you can get ready and then take you to work.”

“Hyunjin, you don’t-”

“Shut up or I’ll punch you.”

Hyunjin returned from his room just a few minutes later wearing black skinny jeans, a maroon sweater, and a beanie that hid all of his hair. He didn’t normally wear this style, but Seungmin still thought he looked amazing. He tosses a gray hoodie at Seungmin, it hit the side of the couch and lay there.

“What?”

“If you’re cold in here, you’re going to freeze out there, so just borrow it without arguing.”

Hyunjinw quickly grabbed his phone, keys, and charger to shove into his backpack, tossing it over his shoulder as he entered the kitchen. He flipped on the light switch, nothing happening, and promptly turned it back off as Seungmin pulled the hoodie over his head.

It was slightly too big for him, though he figured Hyunjin bought it oversized for himself as well since they seemed to be around the same size. The sleeves were just long enough to cover his palms and it felt warm and cozy. It smelled of Hyunjin, whatever that cologne was that he could smell on the train. God, it was lovely.

Hyunjin knelt down to open the kitchen cabinet, Kkami jumping from Seungmin’s lap to run over to his soon to be full bowl of food. His tail wagged as Hyunjin put his food down, the dog eating as the two left the apartment behind.

“That’s terrifying,” Seungmin noted as Hyunjin locked the door of his apartment. There was one emergency light that illuminated the tiniest bit of the hallway. Seungmin wasn’t exactly scared of the dark or things like this, but it did creep him out, to say the least. This is exactly when a murderous man would jump out and kill them, like in horror movies.

“It’ll get worse when we have to take the stairs down,” Hyunjin sighed, leading the way toward the elevator. The emergency lights were on in the stairwell, but Hyunjin was right. The stairs looked old and dingy, likely only used during emergencies especially so high up in the building.

Seungmin followed quietly, the dripping of water and tapping of shoes the only sounds ringing in the echo of the stairwell. It was only a minute or two to reach the ground floor, but even then Seungmin would much rather be anywhere than this building. Everything about the lights being out screamed terrifying, especially since there was no sunlight or people in the lobby this early in the morning.

The lights in the parking lot were out too, likely all the power on the block was out, which made the city feel like the apocalypse was upon them. The cold was surprisingly biting this early in the morning, it pinching Seungmin’s cheeks pink. It had been warm enough the past few weeks, but at this point, the storm could’ve been snow instead of rain if it was just a bit colder. Seungmin could see his and Hyunjin’s breath as they made their way to Hyunjin’s car, the boys quickly climbing in to avoid freezing.

The car wasn’t warm when they entered it, Hyunjin quickly turning it on and turning the heat on. It would still be a minute before any real warmth entered the car, but at least Seungmin had a hoodie. The cold still hit him through the light grey hoodie, but it was warm enough to sink into. Maybe it wasn’t the warmth of the material at all, but the warmth of _Hyunjin._

“Seungmin put on your seat belt.”

“Oh, sorry,” Seungmin stuttered out, pulling his seatbelt over his chest and buckling in. The car pulled out of the parking lot and toward the dorm.

“Did you sleep okay?” Hyunjin asked, half through a yawn. He must’ve been tired from waking up so early and he looked like he needed a cup of coffee, “I know you didn’t fall asleep right away.”

“Yeah, it was fine. Not as comfy as my own bed but it also wasn’t the first time I slept on your couch.”

Hyunjin let out a snort, trying to hold back laughter at Seungmin locking himself out. Seungmin let out a smile as the dorm parking lot came into view. The overhead lights were on, proving the dorm had power.

Seungmin led Hyunjin to his room, the boy realizing this would be the first time he would see it. He felt the butterflies in his stomach start to turn. The freshman dorms were definitely not as nice as Hyunjin’s apartment, and even if it was, Hyunjin’s was beautifully decorated and all they had was their own personal decor. 

Seungmin unlocked the door, Hyunjin following and closing the door quietly behind him. Hyunjin knew Seungmin had a roommate, and he knew it was Jisung, but he still didn’t want to be rude. Plus, he wasn’t that close to Jisung. Seungmin moved to his bed, turning on his purple lights like he always did in the morning. They provided enough light for him to get ready while not waking his heavy sleeper of a roommate. Seungmin looked over to Jisung’s bed to see the blankets thrown to the side with no figure in it.

“Jisung’s not even here. More things to worry about then,” Seungmin sighed, pulling out his phone and leaving a text message for the boy to make sure he was okay. He wouldn’t reply until he woke up for class, but it would have to do.

Hyunjin turned on the kitchen light and fully entered the room, moving toward where Seungmin was pulling off his grey hoodie and shoes. 

“Can you plug in my phone while I get ready?” Seungmin asked, handing it over to Hyunjin who took it immediately. “You can sit on my bed and just chill, I guess. It won’t take me too long to get ready.”

“There’s no rush,” Hyunjin assured, climbing into Seungmin’s bed and plugging in his phone. Seungmin rustled through his dresser and wardrobe, quickly moving to the bathroom. Hyunjin could hear the water start, as he sat looking around Seungmin’s dorm. Hyunjin’s freshman dorm had been very similar in size and he did not miss the dorms. His roommate was awful and he hardly could decorate the way he wanted to. 

Jisung and Seungmin on the other hand at least made a home out of their dorm. Jisung had posters from bands and movies he liked plastered on his walls along with tickets to various events and a few stuffed characters on his bed.

Seungmin’s side was decorated with high fairy lights, polaroid photos hung from them. Hyunjin wasn’t normally the kind to snoop, in fact he normally wouldn’t have cared. However, he had nothing better to do, and the more he thought about it the more he realized he knew nothing about Seungmin. They were all photos of friends and family, his mom and dad walking together on the beach, a black haired-boy with braces and a white dog, a trio of girls, Seungmin with two boys, a girl that looked similar to Seungmin and must’ve been his sister. There were dozens of stories and people hung on Seungmin’s wall, framed perfectly to remind him of home. Hyunjin though maybe he should do something like that for his own room.

His eyes then wandered upward to the framed pictures that hung. They were black frames, some of which Hyunjin had seen before. They were stills from Seungmin’s photoshoots, and they looked even more surreal blown up and hung like a museum. What caught his eye, though, was a still from their own photoshoot. A photo of Hyunjin covering part of his face with his arm, lips slightly separated, and the stars glistening behind him. 

“Staring at yourself? Seems a little narcissistic,” Seungmin teased, tossing his dirty clothes in the laundry. His hair was already dry from the blow dryer, the boy wearing a pair of jeans and a navy blue sweater with red and white stripes at the collar.

“I got distracted because a little someone never sent me those photos.”

Seungmin stopped in his tracks, letting out a sigh of defeat. Hyunjin was right. It had been a week since then and he never emailed the edited photos because he was so distracted with these newfound feelings.

“I’ll send them to you after my shift.”

“You had better because you had enough time to print and frame my face on your wall and I had no idea you were done with them.”

Seungmin slipped on his shoes after putting his socks on and wandered into the kitchen. It was about 5:30 now and he had plenty of time to make actual breakfast instead of just grabbing a pastry or fruit. “Are eggs okay for breakfast?”

“I see you trying to dodge the problem, but if you must ask. Yes, I love eggs.”

“How do you like them?”

Hyunjin hopped down from the bed, walking toward the kitchen to help Seungmin in whatever he needed. “However you want is fine. I’ll just be grateful to have actual food for breakfast for once.”

“Yeah, I don’t know if now is a good time to tell you, but I don’t like cereal.”

Hyunjin looked so offended as Seungmin let out a laugh, pulling stuff out from the cabinets and fridge to begin cooking. Seungmin passed over the cutting board with onions, spinach, and tomatoes. Hyunjin began cutting as Seungmin pulled out two oranges to peel, the pair finishing at about the same time.

They worked well together, Hyunjin cooking the vegetables he had cut as Seungmin mixed together eggs in a large bowl. He added milk, salt, and pepper to the eggs, whisking until they were light and airy. He pulled down a bowl for the veggie’s and two plates, putting the oranges on the plates until Hyunjin was done cooking.

Hyunjin finished, pouring the veggies into the bowl and handing over the frying pan to Seungmin who quickly poured half of the egg mixture into the pan. The eggs cooked diligently as Hyunjin quickly sliced an avocado and began cleaning the dishes they were done using. Seungmin complained, trying to keep Hyunjin from doing them, but to no avail. Seungmin flipped the omelet when it was ready, placing the mix of veggies and half of the avocado slices into the egg along with some cheese, placing a lid over it to allow the cheese to melt. It was only a minute before Seungmin folded the egg into a perfect omelet, placing it on the plate and sprinkling cheese on top. He handed the plate to Hyunjin who set it to the side as he finished dishes. Seungmin finished his own omelet and turned off the stove.

The two boys ate well, Seungmin nodding at how well his omelets came out. Normally they wouldn’t have been so good, but with Hyunjin’s help, they were delicious.

“Seungmin, these are amazing,” Hyunjin commented through a full bite of food.

Seungmin shook his head as he took a bite, talking through his own, “Normally, these aren’t nearly as good.”

“Reminder that I never have breakfast. These are fantastic.”

The boys laughed at Hyunjin’s poor choice of breakfast food, finishing their food and cleaning as best as they could before leaving.

The pair walked down to the coffee shop, the lights off outside as they always were. Because the outside lights were still working on campus Seungmin figured the cafe would be fine. That relieved some of his stress for sure, being able to work normally and not have to damage control the fact the cafe was closed.

Seungmin unlocked the door with the key on his lanyard, turning on the lights and smiling at the fact they worked just as well as they did the day before. Now, Seungmin’s only real worry was the homework he hadn’t done for today’s classes. One assignment wouldn’t hurt, but with midterms coming it still bothered him.

"Excuse me, sir," Hyunjin giggled, approaching the counter and pulling out his wallet. "I would like a caramel macchiato with espresso for here, please."

Seungmin rolled his eyes, putting his black apron on over his sweater and tying it around his waist, accentuating it underneath his baggy clothing. He rang Hyunjin up and let the boy swipe his card, the receipt being handed over before Seungmin began the brews of the morning.

"For here, huh?"

"I’m here thirty minutes early, Seungmin. You aren’t even open for another fifteen so I have all the time in the world to enjoy the warmth of my coffee instead of chugging it like usual."

"Remember the last time you had coffee here?" Seungmin asked, pulling a mug out for when the brew was done.

"Hmm, I distinctly remember giving you twenty dollars to prepay for my drinks that you shoved into my cup the next time I saw you."

"You deserved it," Seungmin laughed as Hyunjin leaned over the counter as Seungmin worked.

"Are you going to make the pretty heart like last time?"

Seungmin felt the blush rise to his cheeks. He thought Hyunjin hadn’t even noticed the decor in this mug the last time Seungmin did it for him. Now he planned on doing it just to feel like he got even some of his feelings out to Hyunjin. He did plan on doing the design but something about Hyunjin asking for it made his heart stop.

"I didn’t think you had noticed it the last time," Seungmin admitted, making the cream to pour into the cup. 

"Of course, I did. It was pretty but we were fighting so I couldn’t take a picture of it or anything."

"You want to take a picture of it?" 

"Do you want me to tag you on Instagram?"

Seungmin shook his head, "I don’t have an Instagram."

Hyunjin looked at the boy, half in shock, half in confusion. "Instagram would be a great way to put your photography work out into the world! Why don’t you make one? I can help you do the logistics since I have a large following anyways and-"

"Hyunjin, I don’t need your help. My photography is for me and I haven’t even learned everything I need to know," Seungmin said as he poured the heart into the cup for Hyunjin. His voice was somber, meaning he meant no ill will of this comment. 

"Seungmin, even if you think you aren’t amazing at photography, you can still put your brand out there. You could get shoots and jobs that way, build a portfolio, make connections. Isn’t photography what you want to do in life?"

"Honestly," Seungmin started, bringing the tray with the beautifully designed whip on top of the cup of coffee to the closest table for Hyunjin to sit, "I don’t know. I did photography because I loved it, but as a career, I’m not so sure. I love it and if I could do it for work I would be ecstatic, but is that realistic?"

"I can prove to you that you can, Seungmin. Will you have faith in me?" 

Seungmin nodded as Hyunjin approached the table, the boy turning to return to work without saying another word. Hyunjin sat down as Seungmin turned on the Open sign that illuminated the store outside. It was likely only ten minutes, the sun barely beginning to rise, when a disheveled Jisung burst through the doors.

"Jisung, if you break my door down I will not hesitate to kill you. It's just the rules!" Seungmin yelled at the boy, who quickly approached the counter.

"I’m just making sure you’re not dead! You never came back home and the lights went off last night so I went to Chris and Felix's."

"I texted you, did you not get it? I’m fine," Seungmin replied, placing the lid on top of a large cup for Hyunjin to take for class. "Hey, Hyunjin. Got you one to go."

Hyunjin nodded and flashed a smile for only a moment before sticking his nose back into his phone. 

"No, I didn’t even check. Can I get a straw-berry-fine?"

"You sure you don’t want a coffee? You being up this early is a miracle," Seungmin laughed, pressing a button to ring Jisung up.

"Very funny, Seungmin. Just make my smoothie."

Seungmin went to work, halfway through Hyunjin approaching the counter and grabbing his drink which was still warm in his hands. 

"Thank you, Seungminnie. Oh, I left my hoodie at your place so I’ll have to come snag it later. See you!" Hyunjin waved as he disappeared into the sunrise with his drink. 

Seungmin finished Jisung's drink, who took it and left for the dorm to actually get ready for the day instead of putting on yesterday’s pants and a hoodie over his dirty, slept in clothes.

There had yet to be any customers besides his friends so he moved to clean the coffee cup Hyunjin had left behind. There was a piece of paper left under the cup along with five dollars.

 _An actual tip and I made this for you~_  
_username: @skphotography_  
_password: yourewelcome_

Seungmin sighed and pulled out his phone, downloading the Instagram app, and logging into this account. He changed the password and looked at the account itself.

The profile picture was a picture of Hyunjin's coffee, something Seungmin would change if he decided to use the account. The bio read "Kim Seungmin, Photographer located in Seoul, SK". There was a photo that had the account tagged, from Hyunjin’s account. Seungmin followed Hyunjin with a sigh, giving in to the idea. Hyunjin's Instagram looked amazing, Seungmin gasping at the 12K followers Hyunjin had.

Seungmin moved to check his own follower account. 2,322. In a matter of minutes, Hyunjin had given him a platform and work all in one. The problem was Seungmin had no idea how to run an Instagram account, let alone a business like this.

_Hyunjin. That idiot._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly was not expected to get out two chapters this week like I did. I wrote basically all of this today and I'm so excited to write the next chapter. The real problem is since I spent so much time here I did not work on any of my other projects and I miss them so much, so I'm not sure if there will be a double post this week for anything really. My other works require longer chapters so It takes far longer to write and divvy up the chapters for those. I'm going to have to see what happens. 
> 
> On a different note, I'm stealing the nicest car my family owns because I'll need it for school (driving back and forth with a mountain in the way is rough on cars especially when they aren't new or a truck) and tomorrow (edit: today bc I wrote this yesterday) I get to test drive it. I am so excited despite the fact I hate driving so catch me vibin!
> 
> I hope you all are doing okay? How did you feel about these last two chapters? They're more filler than anything else right now, and I'm realizing we haven't had Minsung in a hot minute... Gotta fix that real quick but It might be two or three chapters from now that we visit those kids~


	16. Fabrication

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.
> 
> Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_   
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_   
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_

Seungmin plopped into his bed after the long week of work. Not cafe work, schoolwork. He studied any time he wasn’t at work or in class, late into the night and past Jisung’s bedtime. But now that midterms were over, he had nothing to do for the next week. Or at least, he thought.

**The big man:** Hey everyone! I’m making the schedule for next week and I need to know when you’re all available. I don’t want to put all the work on one person, but I know spring break is calm for the cafe and most people go home, so please let me know before tomorrow!

 **Jihyo:** I’m going home, but I can work the weekends

 **Changbin:** I’ll be in town. Can I request night shifts?

 **Nayoung:** I’m unavailable all week.

 **Seungmin:** I’m free to work whenever!

 **The big man:** Can we do normal Changbin, Seungmin, Jihyo schedule on the weekends and then split shifts during the week Seungmin/Changbin?

 **Seungmin:** Me from 8 to 2, Changbin from 2 to 8 yeah?

 **Changbin:** Works for me!

 **The big man:** Then that’s the plan, thanks you two! I’ll be stopping by on Friday to help restock and do orders so expect me Seungmin :)

Seungmin sighed and spent the next few hours debating whether or not he should text Hyunjin. Surely the boy wouldn’t come in so early during spring break, but would he come at all? He would visit at least once, right? Well, maybe they weren’t that close after all. Hyunjin had no real reason to visit Seungmin, but he couldn’t help but pray for it. He wanted to see Hyunjin. He needed to see Hyunjin, even if it was just once. He would take any excuse to see him, and that made him feel stupid. He didn’t depend on Hyunjin and they could hardly be considered friends. Yet here he was, finding an excuse to text him. To see him.

**Scaredy-cat:** hey do u plan on coming into the cafe next week at all? I’m assuming you won’t want your brew at 6:30 in the morning

 **Bloody Nose:** If I’m awake before 9 I would be living an unfortunate life  
**Bloody Nose:** I’ll probably still come in anyways but around 10 or 11

 **Scaredy-cat:** That’s probably better. Our new hours are 8am to 8pm so please don’t show up at 6:30

 **Bloody Nose:** Wouldn’t dream of it  
**Bloody Nose:** Plus, I need to come bother you and check up on that Instagram page you’ve still not posted on

 **Scaredy-cat:** It was midterms I got distracted!  
**Scaredy-cat:** i didnt even ask you to make it for me

 **Bloody Nose:** Yeah but youre welcome ;)

Seungmin sighed, staring at the text message. He hated this feeling. Courting was the worst part of relationships, especially when you don’t know the sexuality of the other person. He had no idea if Hyunjin rooted for his team, and even if he did there were other things to worry about. Were they friends now? They texted every once and a while now, more often than Seungmin would’ve expected that first morning. Hyunjin took him to the science museum to take photographs, and that day on the subway he wrapped his arm so lovingly around Seungmin’s waist. What he would kill to have it placed there again.

Seungmin tossed his phone in his hands as he pondered, no longer recognizing the warmth of his comforter that made him slightly too hot in the spring air. The conversation was a bit stale if Seungmin was being honest. It wasn’t like there was much to talk about and Seungmin was awkward as it was texting Hyunjin. It was hard ignoring the knot in his stomach every time he hit send on the messages. 

Hyunjin was right, though. He hadn’t posted on Instagram at all. He didn’t know if it was something he wanted to really keep up with. It did serve as a public portfolio, though. Maybe it could get his name out there. Seungmin sighed, the knot in his stomach churning as he unlocked his phone for the umpteenth time.

 **Scaredy-cat:** Hey Hyunjin?

 **Bloody Nose:** Yeah whats up? 

**Scaredy-cat:** I dont exactly know how to run an Instagram account

 **Bloody Nose:** I did say I would help you with that huh  
**Bloody Nose:** Are you busy Sunday?

 **Scaredy-cat:** I work every day of the week

 **Bloody Nose:** Seungmin I hate you

Seungmin felt his stomach drop. He knew Hyunjin didn’t mean it, but why did it hurt so bad to hear it?

 **Bloody Nose:** After work are you busy

 **Scaredy-cat:** No  
**Scaredy-cat:** I get off my normal time at 11:30

 **Bloody Nose:** Can I pick you up at 3?

 **Scaredy-cat:** To go where?

 **Bloody Nose:** Just bring a swimsuit and don’t worry about it ^^

**Lee Minho:** Jisung  
**Lee Minho:** Ji  
**Lee Minho:** Park Jisung  
**Lee Minho:** Oh wait wrong one  
**Lee Minho:** HAN Jisung  
**Lee Minho:** JI OMG ANSWER  
**Lee Minho:** jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

 **Han Jisung:** Oh my god what do you want  
**Han Jisung:** Also  
**Han Jisung:** HOW DOD YOU SPELL MY NAME WRONG IT'S LTIERALLY HERE I HATE YU

 **Lee Minho:** Typos  
**Lee Minho:** Everywhere

 **Han Jisung:** My whole name was a typo for you wth

 **Lee Minho:** Thats not the point  
**Lee Minho:** The group is going to the carnival please comeeeeee

 **Han Jisung:** What time?

 **Lee Minho:** In like 20 min  
**Lee Minho:** Ill come pick you up yeah??

 **Han Jisung:** Yeah I’ll come  
**Han Jisung:** Whose all going?  
**Han Jisung:** Idk if Seungmin would want to come but can I invite him??

 **Lee Minho:** Yeah duh he can come  
**Lee Minho:** Also us, binnie, lix, chris, and minkyeung

“Seungmin!”

Seungmin turned, humming softly as a question from his position on the floor with a bowl of popcorn and his laptop.

“Minho invited me on a date? An outing? I don’t know, but we’re going to the pop-up carnival and Minkyeung is going to be there please come with me!”

“Ji, I love you but I just started this movie and I’m already in my PJ’s”

“You’re gonna let me suffer alone?”

“You’re not going to die, Ji! Minho wouldn’t let you.”

 **Han Jisung:** He said no coming :/  
**Han Jisung:** Promise me I wont die

 **Lee Minho:** I promise u wont die  
**Lee Minho:** Get hurt? No promises  
**Lee Minho:** Im coming to pick you up rn

 **Han Jisung:** whAT HAPPENED TO 20 MINUTES

 **Lee Minho:** We texted for those 20 minutes  
**Lee Minho:** :)  
**Lee Minho:** Just put on shoes and come out

 **Han Jisung:** I cant just put on shoes  
**Han Jisung:** What if I look stupid

 **Lee Minho:** You wont now cmon  
**Lee Minho:** Im pulling out right now

Jisung sighed, shoving his phone into his pocket and hopping off his bed, shaking Seungmin’s popcorn just enough to spill a few pieces onto the floor. He shoved his feet into his shoes and dashed to the bathroom, trying his best to fix his mess of a head from lying in bed for the past few hours.

He stared at himself in the mirror, a small smile rising to his cheeks to imitate what he would look like when he saw Minho. What was Minho wearing today? Maybe a button-up shirt? Blue jeans? Maybe a hoodie? Jisung scrunched his nose as the look of his front two teeth, just slightly uneven. Seungmin said it was cute, but it was hard for Jisung to believe that.

Then his mind wandered elsewhere. It had been several weeks since the last time he had seen Minho. He was promptly reminded of the kiss. The kiss that didn’t make sense and yet was so incredibly breathtaking at the same time. Jisung grabbed his toothbrush, his hopes growing too high that they would kiss again. Jisung rinsed his mouth as his mind wandered to Minho’s arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him close and pressing their lips together.

But this wasn’t a date. It couldn’t be. Minkyeung would be there, and there’s no way Minho would pay attention to him then. Not like he could ask about it anyways. How do you bring that kind of conversation up? Hey, you kissed me and I think I’m in love with you, but you’re dating someone and confusing me. Can you explain why you kissed me while you’re dating someone else? Do you have plans of breaking up? Do you love me? 

**Lee Minho is typing…**  
**Lee Minho:** Im here

Jisung left Seungmin to his movie, curled up on the floor under a blanket. The sun was setting peacefully past the horizon as Jisung left the dorm toward the parking lot. Dusk was beautiful, but Minho was gorgeous.

He was waiting with all the windows rolled down, music loud and spilling into the cool air. He was wearing a hoodie Jisung hadn’t ever seen before, forest green with white writing Jisung couldn’t make out with the angle. His hair curled just slightly at the ends, like he had fallen asleep after taking a shower and woke up to find it dried. 

There was nobody else in the car, Jisung sliding into the front passenger seat comfortably. 

“Who else are we picking up?” Jisung asked, glancing over at Minho’s phone, which was pulled up to a text conversation to “KyeungKyeung”

“Minkyeung and a friend of hers. We’re meeting the other boys there.”

Jisung let out a hum as Minho pulled out of the dorm toward Minkyeung’s apartment. He hadn’t memorized the route, but it was a familiar route to him. He watched the streets whiz by and soon enough the boys had arrived.

Minkyeung was wearing a bright pink mini skirt, hugged tight to her curves in a way that would’ve made any boy kneel. It was paired with a pair of black doc martins, some black fishnet stockings peeking out just an inch or two from the boots. She was wearing a black sparkly crop top, paired with equally sparkly earrings. Her friend Jisung had never seen before, not even at one of the dorm parties. She was the kind of person that looked adorable but captivating at the same time. She was wearing far less makeup than Minkyeung and had caramel-colored hair that fell just above the shoulders, slightly curled with bangs. She was wearing a white jersey-like shirt in which you could see her bra underneath, white with black accents on the edges. She had a black and white flannel tied around her waist that hid a pair of distressed black wash jean shorts that she paired with white tennis shoes.

The pair climbed into the back seat, Minkyeung quickly starting with introductions.

“Everyone, this is Soonkyu, she’s a senior. This is Minho, my handsome as hell boyfriend, and his friend Jisung. Minho is a Junior and Jisung is a freshman.”

Soonkyu had already put on her seatbelt, but that didn’t stop her from leaning forward to talk to the boys in the front seat, “You’re a freshman?! You’re adorable!”

Jisung half giggled as she ruffled his hair, Minho pulling out of the apartments and toward the carnival. 

“Thank you, noona. Though, I’m definitely not as cute at Minho hyung!” Jisung confessed, letting the blush rise to his cheeks just slightly, knowing Minho was far too busy to notice with two more rambunctious girls in his car.

“Ahh, he called me noona! He’s like a little puppy! I might have to take you home with me tonight,” she giggled, getting the same response from Minkyeung and Jisung.

Jisung turned toward Minho, a familiar hand falling on his thigh. Minho looked at the boy as the two girls in the back talked and laughed, shaking his head slightly before removing his hand. Minho was telling him to be wary of Soonkyu. She was nice enough, but going home with her definitely wouldn’t be the best idea. A Senior and a Freshman? Was a Junior and a Freshman any better?

Jisung couldn’t help but wonder, as the group talked, if Minho was worried about him flirting. It was obvious Soonkyu would likely try to pull a move or two on Jisung tonight, but is that why he said something? Because it bothered him?

Ding.

“Ji, can you grab that for me? It's probably Changbin.”

“Mmn, yeah,” Jisung replied quickly. Minho was one to text and drive, but only when he was stopped at a light. Plus, with passengers, he didn’t want to put any of them in danger. “What’s your passcode?”

“It's 2587,” Minkyeung blurted out from the backseat before returning to her conversation. Minho rolled his eyes, pulling the phone toward the center console to type in his password.

8101\. Jisung let out a giggle as Minho turned back to the road.

“Did it use to be that?” Jisung asked as he pulled out the text message from Seo Changbin. “He says they’re there and asked how far out we are.”

“Yeah, tell him we’re 7 minutes away. Oh, and ask where we’re meeting.”

“Where are we meeting? 7 mins,” Jisung spoke as he typed, half trying to sound like Minho and half giggling in happiness that Jisung had his password now. Minkyeung didn’t even have his password! “He says they bought their wristbands but they would wait outside for us.”

“We’re almost there, tell him thanks.”

It was only a minute or two before the lights of the carnival came into view. The sunset was still just barely over the horizon, but that didn’t stop Jisung from feeling giddy. He couldn’t remember the last time he had gone to the carnival, but he loved going on rides and playing games. The group climbed out of the car, Minkyeung quickly linking arms with Minho as they walked to the entrance to buy their wristbands.

“Noona,” Jisung giggles, the girl walking beside him with a skip in her step, “You’re really short.”

She punched him in the arm, the boy instinctively moving to rub it despite little pain, “Ya! That’s rude!”

“It’s kind of cute,” Jisung laughed, the short girl reaching up to ruffle his hair.

“Jisung, come here,” Minho called, putting his card into his wallet and shoving it back into his pocket, “Put your wristband on.”

“You paid for me?” Jisung asked, sticking his arm out for the worker to wrap the neon green band on his wrist.

“Yeah, I invited you, didn’t I?” Minho laughed, wrapping an arm around Jisung’s shoulder as the girls paid for themselves. He didn’t pay for his girlfriend, something that Jisung found a bit weird. If weird was the right word he was looking for.

“Jisung! Minho!”

The boys turned to see Chris, hand in the air through a small crowd of people trying to get through into the carnival itself. Minho dragged Jisung over, the girls only a few steps behind. Felix and Changbin were hand in hand as they entered the carnival, passing way too many food stalls for Jisung’s liking.

“Ya! I’m hungry can we get some food~?” Soonkyu whined, pulling on Chris’s shirt lightly.

“Raise of hands, who ate dinner?” He asked the group, nobody raising their hands except for him. “Yeah, what do you guys want?”

There was a ring of answers. Funnel cake, corn dogs, cheese corn dogs, loaded fries, cotton candy. 

“Just a suggestion,” Felix started, his voice obviously affecting Soonkyu who had yet to meet him. Now that Jisung thought about it, she probably didn’t know his name. “We should get some actual food instead of just sweets.”

“Why are the babies more responsible than us?” Minho laughed as Chris turned around looking for the nearest food stand. 

“Is everyone okay with hot dogs, corn dogs, cheese dogs?”

Jisung nodded as did most of the others, the group going to the stand.

“What do you want Ji?” Minho asked, pulling his wallet out once again.

“You don’t have to pay for me! I can get it myself.”

“Ji, I’m not going to let you pay for yourself when I want to pay for you. What do you want?”

“A cheese dog, please,” Jisung sighed, Minho giving a small smile at the boy before approaching the stall after the girls ordered.

“A cheese dog and a corn dog, please.”

“That will be 7.25, do you want anything to drink with that?”

Minho looked over at Jisung who simply shook his head, “Can I get a bottle of water?”

The boy handed over their drink and food, Jisung happily taking the large dog from the worker and bouncing with joy toward the girls.

“He really is adorable, where did you find him?” Soonkyu asked, Minho giggling behind him.

“Felix was the one to find him, I was just lucky enough to be apart of it.”

Jisung could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as Minho’s voice rung in his ears. He wanted to be curled up in Minho’s bed with him, just to talk for hours and giggle in the low light.

“Aweh, he’s blushing!” Soonkyu exclaimed, Jisung turning toward Changbin and Felix, who were approaching, to avoid eye contact.

“It’s not my fault you keep complimenting me!”

Minho cleared his voice, wrapping his arm around Jisung’s shoulders to lead him with the girls toward the games. Jisung has touched his food twice at this point, seeing if it was cool enough to eat. 

Minho hummed after a bite of his corn dog, “It’s not too hot now, Ji. Eat up before we start getting dragged onto the rides.”

Jisung took a bite of his cheese dog, it being just cool enough to eat. The mozzarella was heaven, melted and stringy. It tasted amazing, but the string between Jisung’s lips and his food became increasingly large and had no sign of stopping. 

Minho had burst out in laughter at the younger boy’s suffering, watching Jisung use his fingers to try to cut it off while simultaneously shoving way too much cheese into his mouth.

“Ji, you’re going to choke,” Minho laughed, moving to rip the cheese himself only to struggle too. Eventually, he ripped the cheese, letting Jisung eat what had been stuffed into his cheeks.

“Felix, I love you but you can’t get a fish right now! You’d kill it if we got on any of the rides!” 

The boys turned to where Chris’s voice rang. It was a game across the walkway where Chris, Felix, and Changbin were standing, Felix pulling out his wallet to pay to play. It was obvious Chris was right, where would he put the fish if they went on the rides?

Jisung took another bite of his dog, the cheese being easier to palette but just as delicious. Minho took his last bite, Jisung snatching the wrapper from him before he could protest. The group pulled back together, walking the game stalls as Jisung finished his food, Minho wandering just close enough that his hoodie would brush against Jisung’s arm. What he would kill to link hands with him.

“Guys, do you want to play this?” Changbin asked, the group turning to see what he was referencing. It was the water game where you shot at the bullseye and exploded the balloon, whoever won would get a stuffed animal of their choice.

There was a hum of agreement, the seven of them sitting down, leaving one seat open to compete. The worker counted them down and then boom. Start! Jisung watched as his rose slower than everyone else's despite having good aim. He whined and moved his to help Minho raise his balloon instead of his own. Teamwork!

The buzzer went off, the booth lighting up.

“We have a winner! Freckles, what can I get for ya?”

“The killer whale please!” Felix smiled, the girl biting her lip with a nod. She returned with the plush, obviously trying to make conversation with Felix but he was far too distracted with giving his prize to his boyfriend.

“Is it like this all the time?” Jisung muttered to himself.

“Yeah, it’s pretty common for Felix to get hit on a lot. He’s so dumb, though, that he hardly notices.”

“Changbin must really trust him then. I can’t imagine what it would be like.”

“From experience,” Minho started, wrapping an arm around Jisung’s shoulder once again as they began to walk toward the screaming coming from the rides, “It’s the worst.”

The group went into the haunted house after an hour of doing some of the other rides. Something Jisung wasn’t too fond of. Minho and Minkyeung went through first, followed by Changbin and Felix. Chris went by himself leaving Jisung and Soonkyu to go together. Jisung was not thrilled, to say the least. He had the immense need to use the bathroom from being terrified, and it was obvious to him as soon as they stepped into the house that Soonkyu was going to play the part of a scared girl that needed to be protected. Hell, Jisung was the one that needed to be protected.

They were so close to being out when Soonkyu was over babysitting him, leaving him behind and storming out after not quite getting the attention she wanted.

When she exited Minho immediately spoke up, “Where’s Ji?”

“In there somewhere. He’ll be out in a second. What a big baby.”

“You just left him in there after he was scared?!” Minho half yelled, shoving his water bottle into the nearest pair of hands to run back inside.

“Jisung?! Where are you?!” Minho called, moving past some of the workers who were either confused or trying to get him to exit correctly instead of move backward.

“Minho?”

Minho ran toward the boy’s voice, obviously shaky from the experience. When Jisung finally came to view Minho sighed in relief. If he wasn’t so worried he would’ve laughed at the teenage girl dressed as a demon who was trying to calm him down and guide him out, but now he was just happy he wasn’t crying.

Minho pulled him into a tight hug, the girl returning to her post. “I’m sorry I left you behind. We’ll stick together the rest of the night, okay? I won’t leave you alone.”

Jisung nodded, melting into the warmth of Minho. He was so comfortable, even through all the creepy noises and things in the haunted house.

“Here,” Minho started, pulling off his green hoodie. Jisung finally took the time to read it. USF E. 1986 Eternal Peace. Reality Through Imagination. “It’ll keep you warm and calm you down.”

Jisung nodded, pulling the hoodie on over his head like Minho wanted. The fabric was insanely comfortable, sleeves slightly too long on him. It was perfect. It smelled like Minho, soft, warm, like melted chocolate and lavender in one. Minho grabbed Jisung’s hand, intertwining their fingers and leading him out into the world. 

“Finally, you guys took forever!” Minkyeung whined, eying the two up and down before rolling her eyes. She had crossed her arms as she spoke, causing Jisung to pull his hand from Minho’s. “We’re going on the rollercoaster.”

“Ji?” Minho asked, the boy turning toward him. “Do you want to do that?”

Jisung shook his head lightly, “No, but I can wait while you guys do.”

“We’re going to go on the Ferris wheel,” Minho declared, gently pushing Jisung by the waist in the direction of the ride, “They’re right next to each other, so it should be fine.”

Minho and Jisung followed behind toward the rides, Minho grabbing Jisung’s hand once again. His hand was soft and smooth, something that Jisung loved as long as Minkyeung wasn’t looking. There was a short line for the Ferris wheel, but it wasn’t like either of them minded. The two stood in line, Minho holding both of Jisung’s hands in his own.

It was only a few minutes before the pair climbed into their seats, Minho wrapping his arm around Jisung’s shoulder to pull him close. Too close for comfort when Jisung wanted nothing more than to kiss him. The Ferris wheel began, the first turn showing the beautiful array of colors and noises that ran across the few acres of land.

“You don’t really like Soonkyu, huh?” Jisung asked letting his feet dangle from his seat.

“It’s complicated. I don’t hate her, she just… gets on my nerves sometimes.”

“Can I ask why?” Jisung asked, turning to meet Minho’s gaze. 

Minho always looked breathtaking. The low lighting and the lights of the Ferris wheel didn’t help. His eyes sparkled as they wandered Jisung’s face, though it was hard to tell what he was searching for. Minho pushed a lock of hair from Jisung’s face, a piece that had moved from the breeze, letting his hand wander ever so gently down Jisung’s cheek and jawline.

“May I kiss you?” Minho asked, letting his thumb press against Jisung’s bottom lip, forcing his lips to part slightly.

“You never need to ask,” Jisung mumbled in return.

Jisung had hardly finished his sentence when Minho’s lips met his own. This kiss wasn’t like the last one. It didn’t taste of popcorn, but instead impatience. The idea that Jisung had to wait weeks until their lips could mold together once again. Jisung felt like he was floating, becoming less shy with his kiss towards Minho, something that Minho gladly led. Jisung could feel Minho smiling through the kiss, the boy letting out a soft hum before pulling away.

“You’re adorable, Ji. And I-”

“Minho! I won you a prize!”

The boys pulled apart quickly, looking down from their last rotation about the Ferris wheel to see Minkyeung with a bright pink teddy bear waiting just outside the exit of the ride. The two boys got off the ride, Jisung keeping his distance as Minkyeung ran up to Minho and practically jumped into his arms. 

She whispered something to him, something Jisung couldn’t make out. Something that would inevitably ruin his night. Minho wrapped his arm around her waist as the group wandered toward the food once again for deserts. 

The group picked a place that had several options, but really, Jisung was no longer interested. Minkyeung on the other hand, was interested in one thing and one thing only. Minho.

Their lips connected in a heated kiss, something Minho had easily melted into. Did he melt into Jisung like that? Then it clicked. Minho was a player. He didn’t care about Jisung. If he did, he wouldn’t be going around kissing MInkeyung. Not like that. Not with his hands wrapped just slightly too low on her waist, not with her hands pulling his shirt roughly. Not with the image of them leaving the party that one night months ago with him covered in lipstick marks and hickeys.

“Chris?” Jisung asked, finding him quite a bit away from the group to toss part of his trash away. “Please don’t ask questions, but can you take me home?”

“Right now? Yeah, let me just tell Felix-”

“No, I don’t want to go back to them. Please? I’ll text Felix and explain. He’ll understand. I just want to go home.”

Chris nodded, leading the boy to his car. The ride was quiet besides the low music, but Jisung preferred that.

**Jiji:** Hey, I went home with Chris. I couldn’t stand seeing them like that anymore. I know he’s going to ask, but just tell him I wasn’t feel well…

 **Jixie:** Yeah no prob. You gonna be aight?

 **Jiji:** Dont worry about me too much. I just want to sleep it off

 **Jixie:** Ill let em know. Stay safe my dude.

When Chris pulled into the dorm parking lot Jisung hadn’t explained himself at all. In fact, he hadn’t said anything at all. Chris let him leave the car without a word, Jisung quickly making his way to his bed.

He peeled off Minho’s hoodie and tossed it into the back of his wardrobe for him to hopefully forget about it altogether. He plugged his phone in as quietly as possible, Seungmin already asleep for once, comfortably curled in his bed. Then he took a shower. Maybe he could rinse the feeling of Minho’s lips against his own, or the feeling of his hoodie creating the warmth that he needed, or the feeling of his arms wrapped around his waist or against his jaw or pressed to his lip. God, he just needed to forget everything. When he climbed into bed in his pajamas he checked his phone one last time. What a stupid idea.

 **Lee Minho:** Ji are you okay?  
**Lee Minho:** You left without saying anything  
**Lee Minho:** Whats wrong  
**Lee Minho:** Ji why arent you answering me  
**Lee Minho:** are you asleep already?  
**Lee Minho:** I dont want to bother you but im so worried about you

 **Lee Minho:** if i did something im sorry

 **Lee Minho:** please text me when you see this

 **Lee Minho:** I dont want to hurt you.

**Han Jisung is typing…**

Jisung never replied. Sleep meant that if this was a nightmare, he could finally wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the weird posting?? I was supposed to post this nearly 4 hours ago but my phone alarm never went off so thATS cool! But you guys get it a day earlier since I work weekends now~! Also theres a 80% change next week will be a double post because heaven knows you, I, and the world need it right now


	17. Vulnerable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.
> 
> Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_   
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_   
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_

Jisung woke up to his phone buzzing on his nightstand. Seungmin was missing and the sun was out so it was after eight. Jisung sighed, letting his phone ring until it stopped, staring at the ceiling just to think about everything. It wasn’t a dream, he knew that much. He wished it was, but that wasn’t reality.

He leaned over, grabbing his phone to finally see the call was from Minho. He didn’t want to talk to him, that was for sure, but he couldn’t avoid him forever. Might as well get it over with now.

**Lee Minho:** Ji I know you saw these recently, you’re not asleep yet so please answer me  
**Lee Minho:** i know somethings wrong please just talk to me

 **Lee Minho:** please dont ignore me like this

 **Lee Minho:** Im going to sleep, Im sure youll see these in the morning but Im sorry for whatever I did. Please let me make it up to you. I know I’m not perfect, but Jisung you’re so incredibly important to me and I cant fathom hurting you like this. I need to know you’re okay. Please just tell me that much?

 **Lee Minho:** Good morning, Jisung.  
**Lee Minho:** I dont know if youre awake yet, but when you are can you call me?  
**Lee Minho:** I just want to see you

**One (1) missed call from Lee Minho**

**Han Jisung is typing…**

**Han Jisung is typing…**

**Han Jisung is typing…**

How do you form the words of jealousy into a text message? Of betrayal. Of disgust. How do you ask these questions and get the answers you search for? How do you feel comfortable after the storm has drifted far enough away, but the thunder still rumbles?

 **Han Jisung:** You did hurt me, and I don’t know why. I’ve spent the last few months falling in love with you and all you’ve ever given me is two kisses that made me fall even harder, all for you to turn around and love Minkyeung more than you will ever love me. You kiss her like you can’t get enough, like she’s the only person alive. What do I get? Two measly kisses that feel like pity compared to hers?  
**Han Jisung:** I dont get it Minho. You’re playing me

 **Lee Minho:** Ji Im not playing you  
**Lee Minho:** Please you have to believe me

 **Han Jisung:** I have no reason to believe you

 **Lee Minho:** Please, can we meet up for dinner?  
**Lee Minho:** Us two and Minkyeung  
**Lee Minho:** I can prove it to you, I promise.

 **Han Jisung:** I dont believe you but I have nothing to lose anymore.

═════════════

Seungmin had helped Jisung as soon as he was off work. Jisung had yet to say anything else to Minho, despite trying to make plans for the evening to discuss the problem. Seungmin may not have been the most experienced in dating, but he was smart. Maybe too smart for his own love life. He was too logical instead of listening to his heart, but that was what Jisung needed.

Seungmin made a few things clear to Jisung. One, that no matter what he deserved answers and if Minho refused to give them, then it was not worth his time. Two, that he did not have to accept any apology or explanation right away or at all. Three, that it's better to meet in public with neutral ground.

That was why they decided to meet at an American Breakfast Cafe just a subway stop away from the University. It was easy to get there and made it possible for Jisung to go alone without having to be picked up, which also meant he could leave at any time.

He was stressed as he pondered on the train, though. Heartbreak wasn’t new to him. He had many girlfriends in the past, though none of them had been too serious. This just felt different. It felt vulnerable. The first boy he had ever fallen in love with was incredibly caring, kind-hearted, the biggest dork, and a gentleman. He didn’t know if this would be it though. 

Jisung took a breath before entering the cafe, immediately being greeted by an employee to explain he was meeting someone. He pointed to the pair at the table, sat on the same side of the booth. Minkyeung waved politely with a smile while Minho simply glanced once at Jisung before letting his head fall back down to take a sip of his water.

“Alright, Jisung. It’s time to get out of your head,” he humbled to himself as he pulled his hoodie sleeves down, immediately being greeted by Minkyeung at the table.

“Hey, are you feeling better after yesterday? Felix said you weren’t feeling well.”

“Uhh, kind of, yeah. I don’t feel as sick,” Jisung laughed nervously as the waitress approached.

“What can I get for you to drink, hun?”

“Just an apple juice is fine. Maybe a glass of water too?”

She nodded at Jisung’s request and left for the kitchen.

“So I know why you and I are here,” Jisung started, sighing and for the first time meeting eyes with Minho, “I think that’s pretty clear. And not to be rude, but why exactly is Minkyeung here?”

“I thought we were just having dinner together,” Minkyeung blurted out, looking between Minho and Jisung to finally read the room. Something was off in both of them. She knew Minho was off since yesterday, but adding Jisung to the mix made things more confusing.

“Can we, at least, get our food before we start. I feel nauseous and I haven’t had anything to eat since yesterday,” Minho admitted, running his hands through his hair after finishing his glass of water. 

The waitress returned with three glasses, an apple juice for Jisung and two glasses of water for each of the boys. 

“Are you guys ready to order or do you need a few minutes?”

“No, we can order,” Jisung said quickly, letting the other two order first.

“Can I get the blueberry pancakes?” Minkyeung asked, immediately handing over the menu with a smile. Jisung wanted to hate her, but he couldn’t force himself too. She was clingy to Minho, sure, but she was always kind. She gave him water and made sure he got home safe when he partied, and even though they hardly talked, she was far sweeter than expected upon first glance.

“Chicken and waffles for me,” Minho muttered, just loud enough to be audible. Minkyeung pulled his menu from out under him and offered it to the waitress as Minho was being anything but helpful.

Jisung had quickly browsed the crêpe section while the other two ordered their meals. He didn’t know what he wanted when the waitress asked, but it would be better to flounder while ordering than wait another ten minutes in the awkwardness of the table.

“A strawberry crêpe please,” Jisung smiled, handing over his menu to allow the waitress to leave with their orders.

“So… uh, spring break is coming up,” Minkyeung started, stirring her iced tea to do something with the silence, “What are your plans?”

“I’m going home for the week. I don’t know what else other than that. My family might fly to Malaysia to visit family there but I kind of don’t want to go.”

“Why wouldn’t you?” Minho asked, trying to ease the tension between the pair.

“I don’t know most of them and it would be more work than fun for me. Plus, that would end up being my entire break. I’m hoping we stay home, otherwise, I’ll stay behind and visit friends.”

“What about you, Minho?”

“I have work, so I can’t go anywhere. I have two days off so I’m thinking I might go to Jeju or just drive around the countryside for a different view.”

“Hmm, I’m going to the beach with some friends. If you guys are still here you’re welcome to come with us?”

Jisung and Minho both shook their heads, letting the silence fall upon them. Normally, Jisung hated silence, but now it was preferred. He didn’t want to talk unless they could fix the problem, but he understood why Minho wanted to wait until the food got there. He was either stalling and mustering up courage, or waiting to hide behind his food and lower how anxious he obviously was.

“God, can the food arrive soon? I just want to get this over with,” Minho whined, letting his head fall on the table.

“Obviously, somethings wrong with the both of you, why do I feel so left out of the loop?”

“To be fair, you are. Well, maybe I am too because I have no idea why you’re here,” Jisung admitted. “I thought this was a Minho and I problem and truthfully I’d rather you not be here for this conversation.”

“She has to be here, Ji. I know that doesn’t make sense but this problem kind of involves all of us.”

“I don’t understand,” Jisung said, showing attitude toward the older boy. Jisung rolled his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. This was annoying. It was better to do things like this in person, but it would’ve been way easier to just call each other. Jisung did not have a problem with doing a 3-way phone call if that meant he didn’t have to dress up and get ready to go out. At least he got free crêpes. Cheesecake would’ve been better though. 

The waitress approached with her trays of food. Thank god. She passed Minkyeung her blueberry pancakes with scrambled eggs, sausage, and hashbrowns, then placed Minho’s chicken and waffle plate in front of him with his side of fries. Jisung’s crêpe looked perfect, stuffed with fresh strawberries cream. Plus, the eggs and sausage looked delicious.

“Now that food is here, can we get this over with?” Jisung asked, stuffing a bite of his crêpe into his mouth. “I’d love to stay and chat and I appreciate the free meal and all, but I really don’t want to be here.”

“How do I even start?” Minho sighed, pouring syrup over his waffles.

“Can I ask how this happened? Like what caused this problem?” Minkyeung asked, wiping her lips from a bite of food.

Minho pulled out his phone from his back pocket, pulling up the text messages back and forth from the boys, “You hurt me, and I don’t know why. I’ve spent the last few months falling in love with you and all you’ve ever given me is two kisses that made me fall even harder, all for you to turn around and love Minkyeung more than you will ever love me. You kiss her like you can’t get enough, like she’s the only person alive. What do I get? Two measly kisses that feel like pity compared to hers?”

Minkyeung let out a sigh with a nod, shoving a bite of food to avoid commenting. She understood what was happening. She knew why she was there, but it still hurt. It wasn’t supposed to end up like this, with feelings like this, but it did.

“Ouch to reading our texts out loud,” Jisung commented harshly between bites of food.

“Stop it, I’m just trying to fix this. Jisung, I know you’re not going to believe me. I know you have no reason not to believe me. But Minkyeung and I aren’t dating.”

Jisung lifted his head in surprise and disbelief, meeting eyes with Minho’s. They usually sparkled, but now they were dull. He had dark circles under his eyes and given when Jisung received all those texts, it was likely he didn’t sleep at all last night.

“Well, we are- but we aren’t? Look, it's complicated. This,” Minho referenced to the two of them, Minkyeung avoiding eye contact, “Is a fake relationship that means nothing to me.”

“Nothing to you?” Minkyeung defended, her fork falling to her plate, “Listen I know that our relationship isn’t exactly real, but I would at least like to say there was something between us. We were together, or whatever you want to call it, for nearly a year. You bought me presents for holidays and everything-”

“Minkyeung, you and I both know that this dynamic we had was just fun for me-”

“Wait, how does this make me feel better?” Jisung asked, letting out an awkward laugh, “So you two were fuck buddies? And this makes it better how?”

“Twice! Only twice and both times when I was drunk. That doesn’t make it any better either,” Minho sighed, running his hands through his hair for the twentieth time, “Look, Ji. This relationship or whatever it is was started because of a boy that was harassing Minkyeung. We made this plan to fake date so he would leave her alone. That’s why yesterday at the carnival-”

“You’re an idiot Minho, even Jisung knows better than you. I like you, Minho. I’ve been trying to pine for you nearly the whole time we dated. I think it’s pretty clear our whatever it was is over, so I might as well leave,” Minkyeung started, shoving Minho lightly for him to get up and let her out of the booth. “Jisung, I know our relationship started off rocky and we kind of spent all our time competing, but just know that I really enjoyed spending time with you and I hope we can keep in touch. There’s no reason to have hard feelings over a dumb boy.

“You’re a really sweet boy, Jisung. Make sure he treats you right,” Minkyeung leaned over, giving Jisung a tight hug before leaving the cafe behind, Minho watching in confusion as he cogs in his brain spun in circles.

“Ji?”

“How do I explain this to you, Minho. Minkyeung loved you. She covered you in kisses and smothered you and wanted your affection because she wanted to be with you. The boy wasn’t there at the carnival, she just knew she could use that to keep your attention, and I can’t blame her. I would too with the way you get so distracted.”

“She probably saw us on the Ferris wheel,” Minho spoke softly, things finally clicking in his head.

Jisung nodded lightly, taking another bite of his food. Truthfully, he wasn’t hungry after the situation. Minho stood up, walking toward the cashier, and paying for the food. He returned to the table, placing a hand on Jisung’s shoulder to grab his attention.

“Come with me?”

Jisung let out a sigh. He could see how wrecked Minho looked. He obviously didn’t get enough sleep. He was wearing the same sweats he probably wore to bed and his hair was a mess from how many times his fingers ran through them. His skin looked dry, like he hadn’t had enough to eat or drink in the last day. He nodded, stuffing a bite of his food before leaving the dinner behind.

The car ride was short and sweet, driving through the busy streets toward the only real calm place in Seoul. The sun was just set over the horizon, causing the softest glow to reflect against the water of the Han river.

The two boys sat down on the bank of the river, watching it move ever so slightly under the lights of the city. It was cool outside, but not cold. The boys sat on Minho’s hoodie that he had taken off for the pair to sit on. Jisung focused on the water and the sounds of crickets in a nearby bush. It wasn’t quiet, the cars moving behind them made too much noise for that, but it was calm. It was what both of the boys needed.

“Jisung. I’m sorry that you fell in love with someone like me.”

“I’m not,” Jisung admitted, turning toward Minho who was playing with a few strands of grass, “I can’t remember the last time I had fallen in love so recklessly. Plus, you were the one that helped me figure out my sexuality.”

“You didn’t know?” Minho asked, turning toward Jisung.

Jisung shook his head, a small smile creeping to his cheeks, “You rocked my world in probably the worst possible way. Yet, I’ve never been happier than I am right now.”

“Ji?” Minho asked, Jisung becoming hyper-aware of how close he had moved while he was distracted by the breeze moving off the river, “I know you said I never have to ask, but can I kiss you?”

“Do you deserve it?” Jisung asked back, placing his hand over Minho’s that was holding the boy up.

Minho shook his head and turned his head away, leaning back to lie in the grass. The lights made it difficult but he could still see the stars twinkling in the night sky. Jisung lied down with Minho, leaning on his side and tossing an arm over his waist, gently leaning down to kiss Minho’s cheek.

Minho couldn’t help but let out a sigh of content. This was perfect. He wrapped an arm around Jisung’s waist, moving his hand under the hoodie and tee to reach for skin. He pulled Jisung by the waist closer to him, letting their breath mingle ever so slightly.

Jisung pressed his lips to Minho’s, melting into his arms. Minho took control, deepening the kiss and moving his hand to Jisung’s jaw. Jisung tasted like strawberries and cream, something Minho just couldn’t get enough of. Jisung pulled away, Minho moving to push hair from his face.

“God, you’re so beautiful.”

Jisung laughed, lying down next to Minho for him to wrap his arms around his waist, “Minho?”

“Hmm?”

“What happens now?”

“I would be honored if you would be my boyfriend, Ji, but if you say no I would understand why. I kept secrets from you and I hurt you.”

“I don’t think I’m ready for this yet,” Jisung sighed, letting his nose brush against the skin of Minho’s neck, “I’ve never been in love like this, let alone with a boy. I think… I think I’m still trying to figure myself out but at the same time, I don’t want to lose you.”

“Ji,” Minho whispered, using a hand to force Jisung’s chin up to his own, “I’ll wait for you if I have to. Just promise me I can still kiss you, because that’s all I want to do.”

Minho left a soft peck on Jisung’s lips, something that caused the younger boy to reach for another. Minho let out a small giggle, letting his thumb rub against his cheek, “Let’s get home before we fall asleep here on accident.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey yalls, you're getting a double update this week since I'm almost done with ch 18 already and I'm excited! If anything it'll be finished tonight, but I'm not feeling well with my mental health so if you could leave a cute lil message for me to come back to i would love that ♡ you're all amazing i love you


	18. Subaqueous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.
> 
> Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_   
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_   
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_

Seungmin was exhausted by the time he got off work. He had about 3 hours until Hyunjin would pick him up so he did what any sane person would do. He took a nap. Short and sweet, an hour nap did him good. When he woke up to his alarm he fixed his mess of a bedhead and got something to eat.

**Nose Bleed is typing…**  
**Nose Bleed:** Are you ready?

 **Scaredy-cat:** Yeah  
**Scaredy-cat:** How long are we going to be there?

 **Nose Bleed:** A while  
**Nose Bleed:** but if you want to go home just lemme know

 **Scaredy-cat:** Are you coming to get me rn? Is that why youre bothering me?

 **Nose Bleed:** If I bother you so much I guess I just wont pick you up

 **Scaredy-cat:** Okay I didnt want to go anyway :)

 **Nose Bleed:** -__-  
**Nose Bleed:** Im on my way

Seungmin smiled, pushing his phone into his pocket and rummaging for his trunks. He found them pretty quickly despite never using them at the dorms. There was a public pool on campus but Seungmin preferred the beach. 

There was a knock on the door, Seungmin moving to open it and let Hyunjin inside.

“You know, you didn’t have to come to the door. You could’ve just texted me.”

“Yeah, well, you said you didn’t want to come so I came to carry you to the car if you refused,” Hyunjin hummed in response with a large smile. He waited in the doorway as Seungmin grabbed his trunks, a towel, and his keys.

“Where exactly are we going?” Seungmin asked after locking the door, walking beside Hyunjin to the car that was waiting just outside the entrance of the dorm.

“It’s kind of far out, but I got invited to a house party. It’s a pretty big house with a nice pool and everything and they’re providing dinner so I figured if you weren’t doing anything, I could drag you along.”

“Thanks?” Seungmin said, half as a question as he climbed into the passenger seat. Hyunjin rolled all the windows of the car down to let in the warmth of the afternoon.

“You don’t get out enough so you’re welcome.”

They pulled off, driving past what Seungmin knew to be Seoul. The outskirts were just as busy and hectic as the center, but it wouldn’t be where they were headed. An hour drive according to Hyunjin’s GPS system, in a city that Seungmin had never been to. 

“So, you’re not going anywhere for spring break?” Seungmin asked, watching the view of a national park whiz by.

“No, I’ve got a project to do for the first half so I wouldn’t really be able to go anywhere.”

“But your birthday is this week. Wouldn’t you rather do something fun?”

“I’d like to, but school comes first. My birthday isn’t a big deal anyway. Seungwoo and Hyeri want to throw a party for me and everything, but it's just another day for me, so we settled on dinner instead.”

“Do you accept presents?” Seungmin asked, turning toward the boy who was driving. Seungmin could tell he was contemplating, but he never once drifted his eyes from the road.

“If I say no you’ll still get me something anyway, won’t you?”

“Probably.”

“Fine, you can get me a present. Something small, though. If it's too big I’ll just sell or return it.”

“You’re no fun.”

“Neither are you.”

The house was something Seungmin wasn’t used to. Sure, in Seoul buildings were different, more modern and full of glass, but this was different. Owning a house like this was insane. Seungmin thought he had a big house, but no. Three bedrooms wasn’t big compared to the glass paneling matched with the patio on the second floor. It felt like a movie scene. Maybe the house of a rich businessman in a kdrama. Not Hyunjin’s friend’s house.

Seungmin followed Hyunjin to the front door, tall and towering with a knocker on it. Something Seungmin had never seen in real life, but it was very beautiful. Hyunjin turned the knob without knocking, Seungmin immediately reaching to stop him.

“You can’t just enter without knocking!”

“Why not? It's a house party, there’s no need to knock.”

“But isn’t that rude? What if we’re at the wrong house or something…”

Hyunjin laughed and turned the knob of the door, twisting Seungmin’s hand with his. Seungmin pulled his hand away, suddenly realizing how it had been placed on Hyunjin’s. When the door pushed open the pair were immediately met with a busy living room. There were three couches littered with people, some clothed, some in swimming suits. Seungmin prayed they were dry.

The ceilings were large, the kitchen modern. The whole place felt expensive, and Seungmin felt like the odd one out. He didn’t know anybody here, but if he stuck by Hyunjin, surely he would be fine.

“Seungmin!” 

Seungmin turned toward the familiar voice calling for him. Hyunjin beckoned him down the hallway, the boy quickly following him. He opened the door to show the bathroom, something that although was very pretty seemed almost plain compared to the rest of the house.

“When you’re done changing come out back, okay?” Hyunjin smiled, his eyes disappearing into his cheeks. Seungmin nodded before closing the door on the boy.

Seungmin quickly changed, putting on his black swim trunks with a stripe on the side. He looked at the white tee he brought along with it. Should he wear the shirt or go without it? It wasn’t exactly like he was extremely self-conscious of his body, but at the same time, with all the strangers, did he want to bring attention to himself like that? Would Hyunjin wear one? Probably not, he had a nice body after all, or at least Seungmin would assume he did. He probably had abs, not that Seungmin had ever seen them, but he could imagine it.

Wear the shirt.

He left the bathroom with a perfectly folded stack of clothes, his shoes placed on top, to wander through the living room and kitchen into the backyard. It was beautiful, but even that description didn’t do it justice. There was a large table just outside of the doorway, shaded by a patio from the second floor. The table itself was black framed with glass that was tinged blue to match the color of the pool behind it. 

“Here let me take these for you,” Hyunjin said, taking his pile of clothes and placing them along with his things on the bar where everyone else’s things were. Seungmin took a look around, finally seeing how beautiful the backyard truly was. The backyard was lined with bushes, palms, and flowers. In a way, it felt like a resort, with the pool as the center attraction.

The pool had steps on the right side, with a large ledge to sit on and lounge. The left side was obviously the deep end, and on the opposite side of a pool was a rock waterfall, a cove just barely visible behind the falling water. To the right of the waterfall was a jacuzzi, surrounded by rocks and plants to make it feel like it's own little hideaway.

Seungmin walked along the edge of the pool, trying to find a place he could sit on the edge and soak his feet until he felt comfortable getting in. He dipped his toes into the water and pulled them out, stabilizing himself from the motion. It wasn’t warm! In fact, it was really refreshing, but it was definitely on the cooler side. 

Water. It felt freezing and Seungmin was not prepared to be shoved into it. He surfaced, immediately opening his eyes and pushing his hair back. He could hardly see, his contacts not prepared for the feeling of water in them, even just a little of it. Hyunjin’s voice was unmistakable.

“Cannon Ball!”

Seungmin was met with a splash of water, his hands instinctively raising to block some of the water. When Hyunjin surfaced he pushed his hair back, a smile on his face like he was proud of himself for getting Seungmin into the water so quickly.

“Hwang Hyunjin I’m going to kill you!” 

Seungmin pushed a wave of water at Hyunjin, who simply laughed and pushed a more gentle one back, “Not if I get you first!”

Hyunjin kicked off the bottom of the floor toward Seungmin, the boy immediately turning to move away. He did not want to drown any time soon, especially if his life would be in Hyunjin’s hands!

Seungmin hardly turned around as he moved, let alone enough to see Hyunjin had submerged in the water. Surprise overtook him as he felt something at his feet, then at his thighs. Hands? Seungmin was raised from the water, the boy immediately holding onto the mop of hair that came up with him to keep from falling over.

Hyunjin waited a moment for Seungmin to balance on his shoulders, Hyunjin offering his hands for Seungmin to use instead of his head. Once he got settled, Hyunjin pushed his hair back, a few strands falling back into place on his forehead.

“Is this a challenge, Hyunjin?” A girl asked from the other side of the pool. She was wearing a two-piece swimsuit, the top pink with frills. She had blonde hair, though Seungmin couldn’t quite tell if it was dyed or like that naturally. She was obviously foreign, likely European if Seungmin could guess, and her voice was honey-like.

“It might be! Find a partner, Élisa!” Hyunjin called out in a giggle.

“I did not sign up for this Hyunjin,” Seungmin whined, Hyunjin carrying the boy around on their side of the pool.

“Étienne, viens jouer avec moi, si’l vous plait!” 

“I can’t tell what language they’re speaking, but it's European right?” Seungmin asked, watching the boy who must’ve been… E tea ne? He couldn’t pronounce it like Élisa so he figured he just wouldn’t learn his name. He was built well, light brown hair framing a handsome face. He definitely had abs and Seungmin couldn’t help but look at them. 

Seungmin! Stop getting distracted by boys!

“Yeah, they’re from France. Élisa goes by Lisa too, if that’s easier to pronounce, and the boy's name is Stephen.”

“That didn’t sound like Stephen though.”

“Élisa says it's a translation into English, I don’t know.”

Stephen hopped into the pool, immediately pulling Élisa onto his shoulders, “All right let's do this!”

Oh! It clicked in Seungmin’s head, they were playing chicken fight. He was terrible at this game!

Hyunjin wrapped his hands and arms tightly on Seungmin’s thighs as Stephen and Élisa approached them.

“Ready, Seungmin?”

“As ready as I can be…”

“Go!”

Hyunjin led Seungmin to Élisa, the boy immediately being pushed by the shoulders. He leaned back, nearly falling and instinctively grabbing onto Élisa’s arms and pulling her closer to him.

“Sorry!” Seungmin exclaimed, pushing back against her despite her laughing.

“That’s the point of the game!” She laughed, pushing more aggressively against Seungmin.

All he could think about playing with the girls back home. How did they win this game? He always was the bottom player, so he never had to worry about anything other than Areum falling off his shoulders. But they always won again Sua and Yejin, but how?

That’s it!

Seungmin leaned over as much as he could to reach Élisa’s waist. This probably wasn’t ideal as a boy against a girl because it could be taken the wrong way at first, but if it meant they could win it was worth a try. He tickled her sides, the girl immediately writhing beneath his fingers in laughter. As she fought back Seungmin pushed her over, the girl half falling off on her own accord just to get Seungmin to stop.

“We win!” Hyunjin exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air in excitement. Seungmin nearly fell over and grabbed onto his head of hair.

“That’s cheating!” Élisa laughed, not being serious about the rules of the game as she wandered back to her spot on the edge of the waterfall.

“Cheating or not we won!” Hyunjing yelled, lifting Seungmin off his shoulder and back into the water, hugging him from behind and spinning him in circles as best as he could with the water pushing back against them. “Feels good to win right?”

Seungmin giggled, feeling Hyunjin’s breath tickle his ear as he asked the question. His head was leaned against Seungmin’s shoulder and despite the water feeling cool on his skin, the warmth of Hyunjin was easily making up for it, “Of course, it does.”

A few other boys hopped into the pool with a basketball as one set up the pool hoop. 

“Hyunjin, are you playing?” One asked, tossing him the ball. He removed his hands from Seungmin’s waist to catch the ball, Seungmin immediately feeling the cold of the water reaching his back once again.

“It's on!” Hyunjin called back, turning toward Seungmin as he made his way to the other side of the pool, “Are you playing?”

Seungmin shook his head with a smile, urging Hyunjin to play with his friends. Instead, he pulled himself from the pool to sit on the edge and spectate with several girls and a few boys who were having drinks. They played for a while pretty competitively, the girls cheering on their chosen boys in the water. Seungmin would cheer for Hyunjin, but he thought maybe it would be a step too far.

“Score!” yelled one of the boys with a laugh, grabbing the ball to toss to another, “What Hyunjin don’t you have any fans?”

Hyunjin rolled his eyes through a laugh, obvious that the other was teasing him, “I haven’t heard anyone cheer for you either, Kang! Feeling insecure?”

The crowd let out an “ooh” in response to Hyunjin’s comeback, immediately looking toward the boy for a response.

“Babe, scream it louder!” The boy yelled, a girl on the end screaming,  
“Kangmin, I love you!”

Hyunjin rolled his eyes and Seungmin smirked, this was either going to be really funny or really stupid.

“Hyunjin, I love you!” Seungmin imitated, everyone erupting in laughter in the pool before the game continued with Hyunjin scoring a shot into the net.

Hyunjin raised his hands up for scoring, meeting eyes with Seungmin, who was still laughing. He pointed at him with a cheeky wink, something Seungmin blushed over but laughed off. He wasn’t expecting to have this much fun here, but it really was. Maybe it's because he was with Hyunjin. 

“Hey guys, dinners ready.”

Seungmin turned to see who the voice belonged to, a tall boy, built well with dyed dark blue hair. Everyone began to move from the pool toward the house, the boys drying off as quickly as possible. It was the perfect time for dinner as the sun was just beginning to set. 

Seungmin pulled his legs out of the pool and quickly made his way to the bar of things to grab Hyunjin’s towel. He turned after grabbing it to watch Hyunjin hoist himself out of the pool, soaking wet, and shaking his hair of any droplets that could fall into his face. Seungmin thought he lost all his senses.

They met in the middle, Seungmin handing over the warm towel to Hyunjin who quickly shimmied it through his hair before wrapping it around his shoulders to dry off. 

Seungmin followed Hyunjin back into the beautiful kitchen. The island space was covered with food for burgers and hot dogs, something Seungmin hadn’t previously noticed before. Everyone else was in line to grab food, so they followed behind the others. 

“So your name is Seungmin right?” 

The boy turned to see Élisa and Stephen in line behind them. “Oh yeah, it's nice to meet you, Élisa right?”

The blonde nodded with a small, “How are you feeling being around a bunch of strangers?”

Seungmin smiled nervously, looking around at everyone while he responded, “It’s a bit much since there isn’t really anybody else to talk to. I don’t normally come to big parties like this but Hyunjin invited me so...”

“I’m not surprised,” Stephen laughed heartily, a beer bottle in hand, “Hyunjin’s definitely social and even I’ve been dragged to things by him.”

“So it's just a bad habit then?” Seungmin rolled his eyes as he nudged Hyunjin’s waist. Hyunjin turned from the conversation he was having toward the group, wrapping an arm around Seungmin’s shoulder.

“You called?”

“We’re talking about your bad habits,” Élisa raised an eyebrow toward the tall boy who was now for the most part dry from his towel.

“Me biting my nails isn’t that weird okay!”

“No, you forcing people to hang out with you, idiot,” Seungmin laughed, causing Hyunjin to fake choke him with the arm that was wrapped around him, “I’m not ready to die today! Help!”

“Shut up, before people actually think I’m hurting you!” Hyunjin yelled, shaking the boy but letting him free of his grasp. Stephen and Élisa laughed as the two boys finally started making their food. Plates, buns, burgers, toppings and snacks. 

The pair took their fries, burgers, and chips outside along with a few other groups, Élisa and Stephen included. It was nicer inside, but people were already scattered in the dining and living room. Instead, they sat on the patio with the music still playing over conversations Seungmin didn’t participate in. 

He preferred eating in peace, though if he was asked a question by Élisa or Stephen, he of course would participate. Seungmin wasn’t antisocial, in fact he thought he talked to people quite easily, but it was something about these people being Hyunjin’s friends that made him nervous. It was silly to think that he needed their approval when in reality Hyunjin probably couldn’t care less at his point, and yet he did. If his friends liked him, maybe Hyunjin would like him too.

“You’re being so quiet, Seungminnnn,” Hyunjin nudged Seungmin through a bite of food. The group of people at the table had started a new conversation Hyunjin wasn’t quite interested in. That or, Seungmin was more interesting than them.

“Well, I don't know what to say or do, I’m just eating my food and letting you do your thing.”

“After we eat we can go in the jacuzzi and talk just the two of us okay? Wind down and then I'll take you home.”

“That sounds nice,” Seungmin smiled to himself, letting out a small laugh over the fact that anything Hyunjin could tell him, he would be happy to do.

Love was silly like that and Seungmin definitely felt stupid about falling in love with this random boy.

“Hey, are you guys done eating yet? We’re gonna start playing some drinking games.” Seungmin had yet to be introduced to the boy with the voice. It looked rather plain but he had a nice body, large lips and eyes and hair perfectly styled like he hadn’t touched water at all today.

There was a hum of agreement, everyone picking up their empty plates to toss and go inside. Hyunjin took Seungmin’s, standing up to toss them into the trash. Seungmin wandered to their bundle of clothing and belongings. With a sigh he took off his white tee. It was already wet once and if anything more annoying to be wet a second time.

Hyunjin grabbed Seungmins hand, dragging him along to the jacuzzi. Seungmin could help but feel flushed, it's not like Hyunjin and him had to hold hands or anything though it was probably best so Hyunjin could stare at his shirtless figure.

Hyunjin climbed right into the jacuzzi, the lights now illuminating the blue water from beneath the surface, “Did you bring your phone?”

“Ah, I got distracted and forgot it!” Seungmin exclaimed, pulling his arm from Hyunjin’s grasp and quickly running over to his things to grab his phone. He half ran back, looking more like a waddle than anything else, but soon was stepped into the warmth of the jacuzzi. 

It was warm, almost too warm at first but soon enough Seungmin was melting into the feeling of the jets on his back and his stress falling away.

“It's nice in here, huh?” Hyunjin sighed, letting his arms spread along the side of the jacuzzi.

“Heavenly,” Seungmin laughed as he unlocked his phone and pulled up his account.

“You have your pictures on the cloud right? So you can access them on your phone?” Hyunjin asked, leaning his head over onto Seungmin’s shoulder to better see Seungmin press buttons to pull up his photography folder. “Lets change your profile picture first. I think it should be one of the pictures I took in the infinity room, what do you think?”

“Those are some of the only photos of myself I like so that would probably be best.”

Seungmin’s fingers tapped through the photos Hyunjin had taken of him, both of the boys thinking back of that day. It really was an incredible time, but all Seungmin could really think about was Hyunjin’s arms wrapped around his waist.

“That one is my favorite,” Hyunjin muttered softly, something that seemed like Hyunjin was tired or maybe just relaxed.

“Then I’ll do this one. If you think it's good then it’s probably the best one.”

“You look good in all the photos Minnie, be quiet.”

Seungmin couldn’t help but let out a small giggle. Minnie. That was the first time Hyunjin had called him a pet name like that. Did that solidify their friendship? Was that a step closer to more?

“You put my bio as a photographer, should I change it?” Seungmin asked, opening up his keyboard to type.

“Yeah, you want something simple, but at the same time that isn’t enough to explain what you are a business. Put your name as Kim Seungmin, and then in English Seungmin Kim. That will help international people find your account and spread your brand. The bio itself should say something like, Photographer based in Seoul, South Korea. Freshman at Hyunkook University. Do you have a website?”

Seungmin shook his head, “Why would I need one?”

“A digital portfolio can do just as good as a physical one. I can help you with that too if you’d like but not right now. Hmm… Are you interested in doing paid photoshoots? It could help you start a career professionally, plus it’ll act as extra cash.”

“I don’t really have a ton of time to do that, but I suppose I could. It would be like putting them into my schedule and doing it like we did, right? I’ve only really ever done photoshoots with friends.”

“Yeah, there’s a few ways you could do it, but it would probably be best to figure that stuff out when we do your website. Then customers can have a place to email for an appointment or even make one, see prices and all that stuff.”

“How do you know so much about all of this?” Seungmin asked as Hyunjin lifted his head from Seungmin’s shoulder to stretch.

“I did something similar for when I wanted to be a model in highschool,” Hyunjin sighed, “Though it’s kind of embarrassing now.”

“Why? You would be a great model.”

“Yeah, that’s what everyone says. I want people to know my work, not my face.”

Seungmin turned to look at Hyunjin who had looked back after a moment with a small giggle, “What are you looking at me like that for?”

“I don’t know I just- Nevermind.”

“Tell me what it is or I won't take you home, Kim Seungmin.”

Seungmin sighed, locking his phone and placing it behind him. “I just never considered what it’s like to be so… beautiful?”

“Shut up,” Hyunjin lauded, his eyes turning into cresants and his head leaning back, “You act like you’re ugly. Well only when your hair is pushed back.”

Seungmin pushed a small wave at Hyunjin with a pout on his face. “Way to make me self-conscious compared to you.”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” Hyunjin assured, ruffling up his hair a bit, “You’re pretty too, scaredy-cat.”

The boys met eyes again, Seungmin feeling like the world had stopped for this moment. He let his mind wander as he took in the sight of Hyunjin in front of him. His hair was mostly dry but still stuck together from the chlorine of the pool. He had a necklace on that Seungmin noted earlier but never got a good look at, a small silver key wrapped with a silver chain that fell perfectly along his collarbones.

He couldn’t help it anymore. Seungmin leaned in, Hyunjin meeting him in the middle. Eyes closed, lips touching. His lips were plump and soft, molded perfectly into Seungmin’s own. Hyunjin moved a hand to touch Seungmin’s jaw to part his lips and deepen this kiss. Hyunjin was intoxicating.

“Seungmin?”

Seungmin blinked a few times, looking around to figure out where he was. He was in the jacuzzi with Hyunjin still. He must’ve let his mind wander too far. Seungmin let out a sigh, knowing the kiss was anything but real. Then all he could think about was how realistic his imagination could be to real life.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah I must be getting tired is all. Sorry, I spaced out.”

“How about I get you home, Minnie?”

Seungmin nodded, letting Hyunjin pull himself from the jacuzzi as he turned to grab his phone. Hyunjin offered Seungmin a hand, something the boy gladly took. It was cool when the breeze hit his once warm legs, causing the two to quickly make their way to their belongings. Towels were quickly wrapped around their waists to dry whatever they could to get warm and without minutes they were changed inside the house and in Hyunjin’s car, pulling out of the driveway to head back toward Seoul.

The lights were far and few here compared to the blinding neon glow of the city, plus with the music on such a low level Seungmin couldn’t help but wrap himself in the blanket Hyunjin had offered him when they first got into the car to keep warm. He let his eyes close and head lean against the window with an arm for comfort.

Hyunjin noticed that Seungmin had lied down and drove just a bit more carefully. Seungmin was already tired and he probably would fall asleep by the time they got home. He was feeling tired himself after all the swimming and driving, but getting Seungmin home safely was the first priority.

After the long drive of soft music and street lights moving past the vehicle, the boys finally pulled to a stop at Seungmin’s dorm. With the stop Seungmin stirred lightly, but not fully awake. Hyunjin leaned over, placing a hand on Seungmin’s thigh to shake him lightly.

“Minnie, we’re home. Wake up.”

“I don’t want to.”

“I’ll carry you if you want me too, but you’ll owe me,” Hyunjin teased as Seungmin lifted his head, eyes half open to adjust to the lights. His hair was a mess and his face was twisted but he was still adorable even like this.

“No, it’s fine,” Seungmin half whined, popping his door open and stumbling out of the car. The cool breeze bit at his cheeks, waking him up ever so slightly. Seungmin was met with a Hyunjin on his side, following him into the dorm and to his door.

“You didn’t have to walk me to my door, you know,” Seungmin pouted as he jingled his keys trying to find the right one for the door. It took a moment for Seungmin to get it open, but when he finally did he immediately kicked off his shoes and turned toward Hyunjin, not bothering to even turn on the lights.

“I’m making sure you’re not going to die on your way. And Minnie, please change out of your jeans before you go to bed.”

Seungmin let out a high pitched whine as he stomped on the floor, “Let me sleep, Hyunjinnn!”

“Fine, give me a hug and then you can sleep.”

Seungmin quickly wrapped his arms around Hyunjin’s waist, the older boy pulling him into a tight hug. Hyunjin let out a small chuckle at the way Seungmin sunk into his arms from being so exhausted.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at work, okay Minnie? Sleep well.”

Seungmin hardly remembered closing the door let alone changing into sweats like Hyunjin had asked him to do. He hardly remembered climbing into bed or plugging in his phone but at least sleep came to him so easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is your promised double update for this week loves!  
> Still not feeling amazing, there's a lot going on for me right now, but things should clear up soon. I'm still not sure if I will have a chapter post this week or the next so please bear with me, thank you!


	19. Polaris

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.
> 
> Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_   
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_   
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_

Seungmin woke up and felt like he was floating. Maybe it was the extra hour and half of sleep he had gotten, but he couldn’t help but think it was because of Hyunjin. He got ready like he always did for work, but spent a bit of extra time on breakfast. When he looked into the mirror in the bathroom before leaving with nothing but his phone, keys, and wallet in his pockets he smiled. He looked good today, better than usual. Fluffy hair and clear skin. Well, maybe he looked the same as every other day, but he felt better.

The sunset was long gone when Seungmin arrived at the cafe, opening the doors and immediately turning on the open sign. The cafe was quiet, as it tended to be during breaks like this. He had a few regulars come in that worked in the mornings, but other than that it was boring. So, Seungmin did what he liked to do when he was bored. Experiment.

It was maybe an hour after work had started and Seungmin’s brain was wondering when Hyunjin would walk through the door. He pulled out a clear glass and began looking at some of the things they had in stock that they rarely used for drinks.

He poured some ice into his cup followed by milk and placed that into the fridge. He had nothing better to do than to make dalgona coffee. He got his ingredients together and as quickly as he could, whipped up a bit to add on top of his drink. It was pretty and it tasted good, but it was way too much effort to truly put on the menu versus the other drinks they had.

After another hour and his coffee in his belly, he ventured towards a different drink he had been seeing on his SNS. He pulled out another clear cup and poured ice into it followed by strawberry drizzle in the bottom. It was followed by a sparkling lemonade soda and topped with raspberry additive. It was beautiful in looks, but did it taste good?

Seungmin placed the straw in his mouth and took a sip as the bell rung. Seungmin quickly set the drink down to peek over the counter at who it was. Hyunjin. Beautifully dressed in a denim jacket and hair ever so wavy like he didn’t have time to properly dry it.

“Ahh Hyunjin!” Seungmin smiled, the older boy returning it with a small giggle.

“What do you have there, Minnie?”

“Hmm? Oh this,” Seungmin held up his drink, “I got bored so I started mixing things together. It tastes pretty good.”

“Can I try?”

Seungmin placed the cup down on the counter and moved away from the counter in search of something, “Let me just find you another straw.” When Seungmin turned back, straw in hand, Hyunjin already had his lips pressed to the black straw and was taking a sip. “I used that straw already!”

“It's not that big of a deal, Minnie,” Hyunjin assured, letting out a sigh of content after drinking, “It’s really tasty.”

“Do you want it, then? It’s free and I have no use for it.”

Hyunjin nodded and pulled out his wallet, “Can I get a smoothie too? Whatever you want to make for me.”

“Course. What are your plans for today?”

“I’m working on a project for Friday. Oh, speaking of, you’re invited to dinner at seven, but Seungwoo and Hyeri are coming to the exhibit before that. It’s the first night and ranking happens so I could win and what-not.”

“Oh, like an art exhibit? I didn’t know they did things like that for design and architecture.” 

“Is that a yes?”

Seungmin laughed a bit at Hyunjin’s cheekiness and replied with a nod. Seungmin enjoyed art exhibits since they gave him inspiration. Plus, it would be a good experience to see Hyunjin’s work in person versus through sketches, pictures, and dioramas.

“Are you picking me up?” Seungmin asked after handing Hyunjin’s smoothie over the counter.

“Always. I’ll see you tomorrow, Minnie. Oh, and I’ll text you later!” Hyunjin called as he left the cafe, the bell leaving Seungmin in silence with a smile spread across his face.

When Changbin arrived at the cafe to relieve Seungmin of his duties, Seungmin practically ran from the cafe. He was on the search for a birthday present for Hyunjin, and it had to be perfect. The problem was, Seungmin wasn’t good at buying gifts in the first place, let alone for boys. Hyunjin was even worse. He knew so much and so little about Hyunjin. He had no idea what he would want or need. That was all he could think of as he rode the subway toward the nearest shopping district.

Going to the shopping district wasn’t going to actually be helpful because they simply had everything there. There was one thing Seungmin knew, and that was Hyunjin liked fashion.

He wandered the isles of the shopping center in search of something that piqued his interest, but there was simply nothing. He saw Hyunjin every day, his style was so specific, but at the same time, he had no idea how to replicate it.

Jackets maybe, but Hyunjin preferred them oversized or long, and Seungmin had no idea which ones he would like. Seungmin had seen him in nearly every style so that was out of the question. Shirts were just confusion and he had no idea Hyunjin’s size. Pants were just weird to buy as a birthday present. A little suggestive and that was not the kind of message Seungmin wanted to give.

Seungmin was about to give up and buy him candles based off their incident. It would’ve been funny at least among the group that was going to this birthday dinner, but it wasn’t meaningful. That was Seungmin’s problem. He was falling in love with Hyunjin and he needed something meaningful. It was his first step to confessing after all, or at least it felt like it was.

There was a store just before the candles and home good’s store that caught his eye. It was white marble decorated, though obvious none of the marble was real. It was an elegant store and Seungmin knew better than to look for too long at any of its contents. However, there was one of the displays in the window that had sparkled just right to catch Seungmin’s eye.

He approached the window to look at the small grey, elegant box that was opened for the eye to see. A set of earrings. They were truly beautiful, a mismatched set with a diamond stud to match a diamond-studded hoop, a small chain falling from it to a matching diamond. It reminded Seungmin of the infinity room and his heart lurched.

“Something catch your eye, sir?”

Seungmin turned and bowed at the worker, “Just a bit, how much are these earrings?”

“₩100,000, the diamonds aren’t real but it's real gold plated and great quality!”

“I’m worried buying a gift like this for a friend of mine is splurging too much. I mean, I like h- them, but is this too much of a ‘we’re dating’ present?” Seungmin asked, meeting eyes with a girl who simply shook her head.

“I think you can buy presents for friends regardless of the price as long as you think they’ll like it.”

“I’ll get them then,” Seungmin nodded, the girl immediately leading him into the store and taking the earrings from off the display and leading him to the cash register. She rung him up easily, Seungmin playing with his wallet as she talked to him.

“Would you like a bag for this or a ribbon wrap? Both are free,” She said as she pulled out an example of each. The bag was a small sleek matte grey bag while the ribbon was a black satin ribbon tied perfectly into a bow on top that would keep the box from opening.

“The ribbon, please. Then I can just keep it in my jacket pocket.”

The girl nodded and pulled out her ribbon and scissors, working quickly but beautifully in a way that made Seungmin wonder how many she had wrapped before. He supposed it was similar to when he did latte art in the cafe. It’s become second nature, but it still was a lovely moment to hand that art over to the customer and see their smile.

Seungmin was smiling when she handed that box over to him, maybe a bit too much but he felt light and floaty. It was a fever dream to have bought Hyunjin a birthday present, let alone one that Seungmin felt had encompassed their first memory together.

He carried that little box in his hands all the way home, placing it on his desk to leave until Friday would come. Giddy, but nervous.

It wasn’t until the evening that Hyunjin texted.

**Hyunjin changed your name to tall.**

**Hyunjin changed their name to 1cm taller.**

**1cm taller:** Hey kid

 **tall:** glad to see some change

 **1cm taller:** yeah? Im going to miss scaredy cat

 **tall:** I wont  
**tall:** How are you?

 **1cm taller:** Tired  
**1cm taller:** I had to go set up my exhibit tonight so I’ve just been working for 4 hours

 **tall:** that sucks but I’m looking forward to seeing it

 **1cm taller:** dont get your hopes up too high  
**1cm taller:** plus, you’ve seen my stuff before

 **tall:** Yeah, in pictures not in person  
**tall:** it's totally different in person !!

 **1cm taller:** same for photography?

 **tall:** not really. The end result is the pictures so there isn’t really an “in person” way of seeing my art

 **1cm taller:** Not unless you're a model that is.  
**1cm taller:** I'm sorry I haven't helped you with the website yet, maybe Saturday or Sunday we can. Though, I feel like you dont want to lol

 **tall:** it's not that I dont want to, I just don’t know if photography is what I really want to do.

 **1cm taller:** What do you mean Minnie?  
**1cm taller:** You love photography I can tell, so why wouldnt you want that to be your job?

 **tall:** I love it but part of my love is doing the concepts and having fun  
**tall:** do I really want to get paid to take measly photos of other people’s art?

 **1cm taller:** like my art? :(

 **tall:** thATS NOT WHAT I MEANT

 **1cm taller:** I’m just messing with you Minnie. I feel that way too sometimes.  
**1cm taller:** I feel like it's better than a desk job at least.

 **tall:** you’re right. I just wish art was given the creative liberties it needed to be worthwhile as a career.

 **1cm taller:** you know i texted you to have fun not to have a crisis

 **tall:** okay then what do YOU want to talk about?

 **1cm taller:** I dont know  
**1cm taller:** it's boring in the apartment alone  
**1cm taller:** Kkami misses you

 **tall:** it's not much better here  
**tall:** but Ive got work all week so it’s hard to do anything else other than sit at home

 **1cm taller:** if i wasnt so busy i’d invite you over or out to do something

 **tall:** i appreciate the offer??

 **1cm taller:** welcome  
**1cm taller:** I have to get up super early for a meeting tomorrow so I’ll probably come right after opening  
**1cm taller:** is it too much to ask for a regular to be made. In house?  
**1cm taller:** after my first meeting I’ll probably die and I’m going to be meeting a classmate for an upcoming assignment so I suggested the cafe

 **tall:** ugh now I have to deal with two of you??

 **1cm taller:** at least ill tip you :]

 **tall:** a regular coming up tomorrow morning ;;

═════════════

Seungmin’s keys jingled in the lock as a pair of hands were placed on his shoulders, causing the boy to whip around and jump a foot into the air.

“Good morning,” Hyunjin laughed at the boy whose hand was pulled to his heart and gasping for air.

Seungmin punched Hyunjin’s arm before turning back to his keys, “What are you trying to do give me a heart attack?”

“Try is not the right word. I was simply waking you up,” Hyunjin retorted, carrying his pile of papers which Seungmin had now made note of. He looked around the cafe, not in curiosity or unfamiliarity but instead of choice. 

“Pick a seat, Hyunjin, before I pick one for you,” Seungmin nudged Hyunjin’s shoulder as he walked by, gaining a small whine from Hyunjin for knocking into him.

“Don’t test me, I haven’t had my morning coffee yet!”

“Coming right up, your highness,” Seungmin replied in an accent. Hyunjin would have laughed if it wasn’t for his previous meeting and need of caffeine.

“Whatever, princess.” Hyunjin half growled, sitting down in the corner booth with his papers. He was brushing through them, obviously planning for whatever it was he was meeting his friend for.

Seungmin let out a small whine of discomfort to himself as the brew filled the air with the smell of coffee. Of course, he started all the other brews with it, some faculty stopping by to grab their morning cup of coffee before Hyunjin’s was finished being made. The brew itself was done but Seungmin needed to make the cream. As soon as his line was taken care of he carefully decorated Hyunjin’s Americano with a swan design and moved past the counter to approach the boy.

“Ahh thank you princess,” Hyunjin said as the cup met the table.

Seungmin paused for a second, letting out a sigh to muster courage before closing his eyes and straightening his back to make his statement. “Please, don’t call me that.”

Seungmin’s eyes opened to meet Hyunjin’s who were staring up at him, wide and soft. Like he had no idea what was wrong or how to fix it but he so desperately wanted to. Seungmin’s upset immediately left his body, just meeting eyes like this with Hyunjin. “I’m sorry I won’t do it again.”

Seungmin couldn’t help but stare at Hyunjin in disbelief at his response. Nobody had ever agreed when he asked them to stop before. It felt like time had stopped, surely neither of them had blinked at that point, and the only thing that pulled him back to reality was the sound of the door bell.

Seungmin ripped his eyes from Hyunjin’s to turn toward the girl standing in the doorway, observing the cafe. It was obvious to Seungmin she had yet to ever come to the cafe, so Seungmin bowed to her. “Welcome in, my name is Seungmin and I’m the barista here-”

He blinked a few times before his feet kicked in move toward the register, but he didn't get far as she approached the table sitting down across from Hyunjin.

“Is there anything I can get for you?” Seungmin asked with his customer service smile, something Hyunjin giggled to himself at.

“Mmn, do you have anything sweet?” The girl asked, meeting eyes with Seungmin.

“Our smoothie’s are really popular in the spring and summer. What kinds of fruits do you like?”

“Any kind of berries are fine, a medium?” She pulled out her purse and Hyunjin held up a hand to which Seungmin tilted his head at.

“I’ve got it no worries.”

“Ahh, thank you Hyunjin.” The girl smiled, Seungmin taking Hyunjin’s all too familiar card to bring back to the register. His card was swiped through the reader, the receipt pouring out as Seungmin quickly poured the contents of the smoothie into the blender.

The sound of whirring filled the air of the cafe, burying the soft music that was playing over the speakers. It was only a minute of two for Seungmin to have filled up the clear cup with smoothie and garnished it, bringing it along with Hyunjin’s card and receipt back.

Seungmin bowed and excused himself, moving away from the littered table of Hyunjin’s papers to return to work. Though, what little work he had left to do. At this point the only thing he could do was dishes so he began filling up the sink with soapy water.

Dishes were boring, but quick. As quick as Seungmin could be when he wanted to be doing anything but dishes. Seungmin peered over the counter, looking at the booth where Hyunjin and the girl were simultaneously hard at work and giggling their heads off.

Seungmin prepared another cup of coffee for Hyunjin, as he had neatly set his at the edge of the booth, likely empty. Seungmin carefully carried the slightly overfilled mug to the counter, carefully placing it on the edge to scoot onto the table itself in fear of spilling onto Hyunjin’s work.

“Mnn, thanks Minnie.”

“It's no problem- Are you guys doing okay?” Seungmin asked, moving his weight from foot to foot.

“Yeah, you bored?” Hyunjin laughed, scooting over in the booth to accommodate for Seungmin to sit down.

Seungmin nodded and slid in next to Hyunjin looking at the drawings. They were watercolored to perfection, Hyunjin’s work always was. Along with it, however, was an architecture style that Seungmin recognized as Gothic.

“Hmm. These colors don’t match the style of the museum, Hyunjin.”

“Beautiful colors and designs, for sure, but the colors should be more mute and focused on statement colors. Lighting does wonders for Gothic homes so it's best to use lighter colors with fun colored furniture instead of the other way around.”

“Mr. Professional over here knows everything, huh?” Hyunjin teased, nudging Seungmin’s arm slightly, “You’re right though, but that's the beauty of this assignment. We were given prompts to accomplish so somehow… I’m going to have to match these colors to the house.”

“Sound’s not fun. Glad we don’t have to do that in photography.”

“You do photography?” The girl asked, a smile still across her face. “Are you coming to the exhibit?”

Seungmin glanced over at Hyunjin who was already back with his train of thought before turning back, “Yeah, but I won't be taking pictures or anything. I’m just going to support Hyunjin.”

“I’ve got to go head out,” the girl promptly stated, checking her buzzing phone to reveal a phone call, “but I guess we’ll both be rooting for Hyunjin. See you guys later!”

Seungmin felt the ping in his chest grow the next few days, both in anxiousness and what he only could describe as jealousy. Sure, it wasn’t jealousy exactly, but what else could describe the feeling of losing Hyunjin to a girl he just met when Hyunjin was never his in the first place.

═════════════

**1cm taller:** Minnie are you reaaaaddddyyyy

 **tall:** yes ive been ready youre the one whose running late

 **1cm taller:** no im not!!  
**1cm taller:** I said 4:30

 **tall:** you said 4  
**tall:** did you MEAN 4:30?

 **1cm taller:** yes??  
**1cm taller:** okay maybe i am running late

 **tall:** I’ll just meet you there so you don't have to stop by  
**tall:** it's not far and I know where it is so Ill meet you there !!

 **1cm taller:** ill see you soon minnie

Seungmin stood in the bathroom, looking at himself again. He was nervous. Both for Hyunjin and for himself. It’s Hyunjin’s birthday today. He’ll be turning twenty, and even though it's not an insane milestone, it's hard to think that Seungmin would be handing over the little box to him tonight at dinner. It wasn’t the same at all, and yet it felt like he was proposing.

Seungmin looked at the tan overcoat he was wearing, draped over him elegantly down to his knees. Under it was a white dress shirt, tucked perfectly into a pair of dark wash jeans. Seungmin didn’t have nice shoes to wear with it, so he opted for his white converse.

He knew he wouldn’t look nearly as beautiful as Hyunjin did when he saw him, but he tried. He had put on a bit of foundation and tried to style his hair. It ended up looking like it always did, but maybe it was just because Seungmin had been staring at it for so long.

Seungmin pulled the silver box from the pocket of his jacket, looking at the beautiful satin ribbon that was tied just as perfectly as before. The feeling of satin against his fingertip made his heart stop and it was a moment before Seungmin shoved it back into his pocket and grabbed his things before leaving the dorm behind.

The air outside wasn’t cool yet, but it surely would be after dinner and in the exhibit. Seungmin walked past the courtyard and across campus until the exhibit building came into view. It was beautifully designed with every color of the rainbow, modern with interesting angles.

Seungmin entered the building, immediately being welcomed and given a brochure filled with information and a small map of where everything was. Hyunjin should be here by now if he still wasn’t late so Seungmin began walking the building. There were many beautiful architectural designs, though some of them Seungmin was unsure if the psychics were accurate.

There was a hand ever so gently placed on Seungmin’s shoulder. He turned and was met with a familiar handsome face. Seungmin smiled and Hyunjin grabbed his hand and dragged him off toward his own section.

“Hyunjin, there's no need to drag me,” Seungmin half giggled in a quiet voice, following the boy.

Hyunjin simply kept going with a smile, “I want you to see my project, I’m too excited to slow down!”

Seungmin took a good look at Hyunjin who was dressed similarly to him, but past what Seungmin’s business casual was. Hyunjin had on black slacks that hugged his legs perfectly, a striped dress shirt in green, red, and white with a tan jacket similar to Seungmins thrown over it. His hair was pinned back with bobby pins on the sides, bangs still hung over his forehead and a small necklace around his neck.

“Well I know that, but shouldn’t you be over there already? Judges are already on the move.”

“I talked to one already, though I almost missed her. I have a bit until the next one comes. But you’ve got to see what I did.”

“I’m coming, Hyunjin, I’m coming!”

The boys made their way through the people observing and giggling softly with friends who had displays, until they finally made it to Hyunjin’s. He had a small corner of the room that appeared to be a small office like space. The desk was clear and modern, lots of glass, with an equally beautiful desk chair. The desk itself had plants and decor that was very Hyunjin, along with a small seating area with an unique looking bookcase. The true beauty however, was the mural on the farthest wall that tied the room together in colors. It looked like the night sky to the average eye, but to Seungmin it was the infinity room. The way the colors spread out and glistened was simply beautiful and with the lights Hyunjin had fixed from the ceiling, to the glistening lights scattered among the bookshelf and the desk, Seungmin was in awe.

“Do you like it?” Hyunjin asked, arm wrapped ever so gently around Seungmin’s back, holding him by the shoulder.

“Hyunjin… it’s- gorgeous. That’s not even the right word, I just can’t describe it all.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Hyunjin smiled, looking over toward the boy who couldn’t rip his eyes from the piece of artwork.

“Ah, finally found you two!”

The boys turned to meet Hyeri and Seungwoo approaching them. Seungwoo was in black slacks and a navy shirt tucked in messily with the sleeves rolled up, and Hyeri in a pastel purple dress with flowers covering the skirt.

“Hey guys! Welcome to my display,” Hyunjin said, motioning towards the room.

“It’s beautiful, Hyunjin,” Hyeri beamed, poking her head inside to look more closely, “Is the mural hand painted? I didn’t know you could paint like that.”

“I didn’t know I could either. It was a risk but I knew I wouldn’t be able to find any wallpaper that looked like it for the vision I had.

“It's really good. A little girly for my taste, but not bad,” Seungwoo added, patting Hyunjin on the back.

Seungmin cleared his throat, motioning toward one of the judges that was approaching the display. Seungwoo dragged Hyeri and Seungmin off to look at the other displays while Hyunjin finished judging.

The trio had simply lost track of time, both looking and grabbing snacks and drinks as they wandered. It was when the announcer had come over the intercom stating that judging was being announced in five minutes did they head back toward Hyunjin.

“Attention, Ladies and Gentlemen. Our award ceremony will begin now. Participants if you are not at your displays, please go to them immediately. Our judges will be walking the floor to award you for your work.”

It began with small awards, moving up to the top three. Hyunjin received a creativity ribbon as well as one for hand-made, but there was no guarantee after those he would receive any of the trophies.

“Third place is... Kim Dojin, Sophomore! Her piece was submitted in architectural design, portraying a modern, but historical design built into one. Receiving inspiration from the Joseon Dynasty along with modern European designs, fusing the two created a beautiful story that linked her to her heritage. Congratulations!”

Hyunjin was getting nervous, Seungmin could tell. Seungmin didn't quite know how long Hyunjin had worked on his design, but surely it was hours worth of effort. Knowing Hyunjin, he deserved to place with all of his hard work, that was fact. Seungmin knew, however, how competitions felt.

Hyunjin was nervous, his hands were shaking and lightly tapping at his sides. Normally, Seungmin’s anxiety would override what he was about to do, but if he was in Hyunjin’s shoes, he would love to have the support.

Seungmin wrapped his hand tightly around Hyunjin’s, who immediately moved to intertwine their fingers. Seungmin would feel Hyunjin’s hands shaking in his hand, the boy turning to see Hyunjin’s eyes closed and taking deep breaths.

Truthfully, he had never seen Hyunjin like this, but it felt all too real to Seungmin who had been through this many times before.

“Second place is… Park Jinwoo, Senior! His piece was submitted in architectural design, based heavily off of the space age. With elements taken from spaceships, astronauts, and sci-fi movies his vision has given a whole new meaning to infinity and beyond. Congratulations!”

“I’m not going to place first, Seungmin,” Hyunjin whispers amongst the applause. “Have you seen some of the other architect designs? They’re flawless, I can’t compete with that.”

“Yours is the only one here that took my breath away. If you don’t place first, then the judges are blind, Hyunie.”

Hyunjin, met eyes with Seungmin who was smiling softly up at him. Hyunjin nodded lightly and closed his eyes again as the announcer began once again.

“First place is…” 

The silence lasted longer than all the other ones it seemed, like a name would never be called. Seungmin could swear Hyunjin didn’t move a muscle in his body. Not even his eyelashes were twitching. He was frozen in wait for a name to be called. Any name to be called.

“Hwang Hyunjin, Sophomore!”

Hyunjin immediately pulled Seungmin into the tightest hug, the younger boy wrapping his arms tightly around his waist back. Seungmin was hardly keeping himself on the floor through the hug, feeling both squished and comfortable at the same time, “I told you, you could do it.”

Hyunjin pulled away from the hug as the judges approached him holding a golden sash and trophy to which he bowed and thanked them profusely.

“His piece was submitted in interior design, with a fantasy feeling of floating throughout the stars, the room was built for creativity and inventing. With a hand-painted mural as the centerpiece of the room, Hwang was able to create a feeling of something unreal to daily life. As first place winner his design will be featured in Interior Weekly Magazine for the May edition. Congratulations!”

Hyunjin posed for the school newspaper, smiling so brightly Seungmin couldn’t help but smile with him. It was a few minutes of him shaking hands with everyone before things finally quiet down and the event was over.

“Wait, go back over,” Seungmin ushered, pushing Hyunjin in front of his display, “We need photos too. I wish I would’ve brought my camera!”

Hyunjin posed for Seungmin to take photos of him on his phone, taking plenty of them until Seungmin could get the perfect shots of both Hyunjin in front of the display and the display itself.

“Celebratory dinner, let’s go!” Hyeri cheered, leading everyone out of the building toward Hyunjin’s car in the parking lot.

Seungmin opened the front passenger seat for Hyeri to get in with her dress, closing it behind her and climbing into the back seat with Seungwoo as they headed downtown. The drive was filled with chatter with Hyunjin, primarily him saying that he couldn’t believe he would be featured in a magazine.

The group settled down only when they entered the fancy restaurant, being placed at a table with a beautiful light blue cloth falling into Seungmin’s lap when he sat down. Hyeri was carrying a small bag, a birthday gift for Hyunjin, but she had already told him that he could open it after desert.

Dinner was delicious, Seungmin knowing it would be a pretty penny to pay but for Hyunjin it was worth it. Seungmin couldn’t help through dinner, letting the rest talk as he ate, joining in on conversation when he felt he could but otherwise smiling through his meal to watch Hyunjin enjoy his. Hyunjin had said he didn’t love his birthday, but Seungmin knew he was more than happy to be spending it with them.

When dessert came the staff sang to Hyunjin which left him flustered and giggling, but when the song was over Hyunjin took a bite and told the rest of the bunch to join him.

“Thank you guys for being here for me on my birthday. It really has been one of the best.” Hyunjin giggled, wiping his face from the chocolate and ice cream after finishing the desert.

“We did save the best for last though,” Hyeri noted, pulling her present bag from under the table and placing it into Hyunjin’s lap. “It's from both Seungwoo and I.”

Hyunjin smiled and thanked them, opening up the card first and smiling as he read it. He pulled out a beautiful beret, something he thanked them for and placed back in the bag, also making note of a beautiful watch that he beamed over.

“Guys, you didn’t have to do this for me. Thank you so much.”

“Seungmin, your turn,” Hyeri smiled, motioning toward the boy.

“What?” Seungmin asked, an obvious look of shock on his face.

“The present, Seungmin,” Hyeri whispered back at the boy.

“Oh, yeah! Sorry, I almost forgot I had it…” Seungmin gushed in embarrassment, pulling the small grey box from his pocket and handing it over the table.

Hyunjin held the box in his hands and pulled the beautifully tied ribbon, allowing it to fall and gather onto the tablecloth. He opened the box and immediately let his lips part in awe. To Seungmin, it looked like Hyunjin’s eyes were sparkling under the lights of the restaurant. Then, his worry finally kicked in.

Seungmin could feel the lump in his throat growing as it got increasingly difficult to swallow, watching the older boy turn the boxed ever so slightly to see how the light catches on the diamond earrings.

“Seungmin… I don’t even know what to say. These are so beautiful, how much on earth did you pay for these?!”

“I promise it wasn’t a lot!”

“I said something small!”

“They are small! Do you like them?” Seungmin asked nervously.

Hyunjin met eyes with the worried expression on Seungmin's face and offered the biggest smile in return, “I love them, Minnie. Thank you so much.”

Hyunjin pulled the earrings from the box and put them into his piercings one by one, using his phone to try to see how they looked but giving up to look around at the group who watched intently as the glisten and sparkle of the earrings in the light.

“I love you guys, but it's starting to get late so we should head out. I have to take down my display tomorrow morning,” Hyunjin laughed, placing his earring box into the other bag and leading the group out of the restaurant, having already paid when dessert had arrived.

When the group arrived at the art exhibit, Seungwoo and Hyeri left for their own car. Seungwoo motioned he could take Seungmin and let Hyunjin go home and rest, but the boy politely declined.

“I was supposed to give him a ride so I owe taking him home.”

“Alright, I’ll see you at home then. Bye, Seungmin!”

Seungmin waved to the both of them as he climbed into Hyunjin’s car, the boy immediately putting on his seatbelt as the car started and pulled out of the parking lot.

“So, how much did you pay for these?”

“I can’t just tell you how much your present was, don’t you have manners, Hwang Hyunjin?”

“I told you not to spend too much money on my birthday.”

“It wasn’t too much. Just accept your present, you said you love them.”

“I do, it's just- I can’t believe you would buy me a present like this.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know how to explain it, Seungmin,” Hyunjin sighed as he pulled up to Seungmin’s dorm, parking and stepping out of the car.

Seungmin knew the present had been his stepping stone into confessing, but now that he was alone with Hyunjin could he really confess? He had the confidence, Hyunjin was being affectionate and kind, but what if he said no. If he had no feelings for Seungmin, surely that would ruin his birthday and that was the last thing Seungmin wanted. His birthday had to be perfect.

They two walked side by side toward Seungmin’s room, “Well, can you try?”

“I can’t think of a word. Luxurious? I’ve never gotten a present like this, it just seems so unreal someone would care that much about me.”

Seungmin turned on his heel outside his door, smiling up at the older boy, “Well, now you know I do.”

Hyunjin smiled back, pulling Seungmin into a hug for the second time that night. It was a warm and soft hug, the familiar smell of Hyunjin’s cologne melting Seungmin into bliss. The hug lasted a while, Hyujin whispering, “Thank you, Minnie. For supporting me and believing in me” only for Seungmin to giggle, “I’ll always believe in you,” in return.

The hug was broken, a flush on Seungmin’s cheeks with a smile across his face. Hyunjin had said goodnight, and the door had closed. He had lost his opportunity to tell Hyunjin that he had fallen in love with him even more after tonight than even the day before, but for Hyunjin it was worth the wait if he was happy tonight.

**Hyunjin changed your name to Minnie.**

**Hyunjin changed their name to Hyunie.**

**Hyunie:** gnight min  
**Hyunie:** sleep well ♡

 **Minnie:** you too ♡

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> This is a longer chapter as you can tell, and I hope you enjoyed it after such a long wait. I appreciate youre patience for me as I write~
> 
> If you commented on my last chapter and I havent replied, Im sorry! I replied to some and not others which is out of the ordinary for me, just know that I did see them but I likely wont reply Im sorry ♡ Ill reply to comments from here on out as always dont you worry!!
> 
> Im still suffering from writers block but yesterday I had a stroke of motivation so I finished this off to post for you all. Im unsure if there will be a TMH update for next week, but if there isnt youll get my Changlix oneshot instead.
> 
> ♡ Much love


	20. Divulgence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.
> 
> Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_   
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_   
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_

“I should’ve just told him Friday!” Seungmin groaned, lying back onto the floor next to where Hyeri was sitting on a pillow. She leaned over to hit the spacebar on her computer to pause the drama they were watching, mouth half stuffed with ramen.

“Are you even paying attention to the show?” She half-grumbled and he just shook his head.

“I wish this distraction was working like I wanted it to but I can’t stop thinking about him. Like at all. Everything just reminds me of him.”

“And why didn’t you tell him?”

“It was his birthday. He won a prize. I don’t know, it was such a good night, I didn’t want to ruin that for him.”

Hyeri slurped up her noodles then grabbed a bite for Seungmin, hovering over his mouth for him to take a bite. He did reluctantly, but food is food and anything will help him forget about Hyunjin.

“Are you, I don’t know, going to man up and tell him or keep being a baby?”

Seungmin let out a half-assed whine, chewing his food halfway before speaking, “Can’t I just not tell him?”

“Not If you keep getting distracted while we watch dramas, it's getting annoying,” Hyeri commented, shoving another bite into Seungmin’s mouth despite his protests.

“Fuck, why is your ramen so spicy!”

“To make you shut up!”

Seungmin sat up and chewed his food far too quickly than he would’ve liked as Hyeri started the drama once again. He couldn’t focus, though. I mean, how could he when Hyunjin’s face was implanted in his mind?

It couldn’t have been more than three minutes before Seungmin spoke again, “So what should I do?”

“Oh my god, just build up some courage and tell him you like him! I’m tired of your whining! I’ve given you advice like four times and you’re being a big ol’ baby about it!” Hyeri half yelled back. Seungmin needed to be snapped out of it, and Hyeri sure as hell knew how to do the trick, “We both know that even if he doesn’t like you back he’s not going to be an ass. You’re best friends at this point, he’s not going to just drop you like that.”

“Yeah, you’re right. But when do I do it? Like, isn’t it supposed to be romantic or something?”

“Seungmin, I don’t think it matters. Just tell him before I have to punch you.”

═════════════

Work was stupid. Getting up every morning and getting ready for Hyunjin to walk through those doors and smile like an idiot at Seungmin’s face. He always wore those earrings, glistening under the low light of the coffee shop in the morning before the sun could properly rise. It hurt sometimes to think that those earrings meant so much to Seungmin, more than Hyunjin could even fathom.

“Large, Caramel Macchiato two shots of espresso for the large dummy head!’ Seungmin yelled over the counter, the boy rolling his eyes with a big smile as he took his coffee.

“Doing anything after work today?” Hyunjin asked as Seungmin glanced at the customer that approached behind Hyunjin.

“No, I’m ahead on school work, thanks to spring break.”

“Come with me to take pictures? I can pick you up when you’re done.”

“I would need to grab my camera before we-”

“I’ll get it from Jisung, see you at two!”

“I get off at two-thirty!” Seungmin called out after him, Hyunjin leaving with an excited nod onto whatever he had to do that day. “Sorry about that, what can I get for you?”

The boy approached the register, ordering the same thing as Hyunjin but without the espresso, making it easy for Seungmin to hand the brew over and ring him up.

But it also made his mind spin. Surely, going out wasn’t a date. Yet, Seungmin’s stomach had butterflies the rest of his shift.

When Hyunjin came bursting through the door at exactly 2:32 to see Seungmin still working he sped up to the pick-up counter as Seungmin handed over a cup, calling out a name Hyunjin didn’t care to remember.

“Seungmin! It's past 2:30, why are you still in your apron?” 

Seungmin glanced over at the clock, then the line of people that was longer than he would’ve liked, then at Changbin. “I didn’t even realize it was with the line. Let me stay and help-”

“Get out of here,” Changbin half whined, glancing over at Seungmin. “You know I’ll be fine on my own and it’s been busier before. Goooo!”

Seungmin rolled his eyes with a wide smile, untying his apron and giving Changbin a small hug from behind before hanging up the apron and moving from around the counter.

“Camera?”

“Right here,” Hyunjin beamed at the boy, who had finally noticed his camera wrapped around Hyunjin’s neck. The same lens was on from the last time he used it, likely because Jisung just handed it over when the boy arrived asking for it. “Come on!”

“Where are we even going?” Seungmin laughed, following Hyunjin out from the cafe and to his car, the older handing over the camera for Seungmin to place around his own neck where it’s rightful place would be.

“The local park. I figured get some ice cream, feed some ducks. I brought rice for them and everything. Just a little hang out.” Seungmin couldn’t deny ice cream and ducks, and with that, they were heading for the park.

It wasn’t too busy for the time of year, though being the middle of the afternoon and before kids got out of school helps. There were a few families with it being Friday, but the park itself was pretty empty. 

“We should’ve brought Kkami, he would’ve loved it.”

“He also would’ve tried to steal my ice cream. Speaking of, let’s go get some from across the street before doing anything?”

“Yeah, that sounds great!”

The boys crossed the street easily with what litte traffic there was, entering the little ice cream parlor to be met with the smell of waffle cones being pressed. Seungmin let out a small huff of the beautiful scent.

“What do you want, Minnie?”

“Hmm, Mint choco please!”

Hyunjin nodded as Seungmin turned around the parlor, taking generic shots to warm up his camera and fix settings. One of Hyunjin just on his phone, because why not, though he stared far too long at the boy. Maybe this should be his excuse to stare at the art that was Hyunjin’s entire being. Archiving it forever in photography.

“What can I get for you two?”

Hyunjin looked up and approached the counter, shoving his hand into his pocket to grab for his wallet, “Can I get a Mint Choco and a Strawberry, both in a waffle cone?” 

“Yes, of course. Anything else?”

Hyunjin glanced at Seungmin who shook his head like a puppy, soft and adorable all at the same time, the boy immediately turning back toward the woman, “Nope, that’ll be it.”

“Your total is $10.89, card? Perfect. Do you need your receipt today?”

Hyunjin shook his head as he pulled his card out of the reader, Seungmin spilling a thank you over the counter as Hyunjin pulled him to the side gently by the waist for the next customer to order.

“You know you don’t always have to pay for me,” Seungmin noted, pulling his camera up to snap a picture of Hyunjin who posed with peace signs on instinct. Cute.

“I know, you’ve just done a lot for me and heaven knows how much you paid for these earrings- I love them by the way. Plus, I’m meeting with the magazine team tonight so I’d like to indulge a little bit.”

“Yeah well, I also work basically every day of the week so it wouldn’t kill me to spoil you.”

Hyunjin would’ve replied if not for their ice creams being handed over the counter, the boys quickly taking them outside and across the street within seconds, Seungmin taking pictures on the way as best he could with a cone in one of his hands. Some were bound to be blurry.

This wasn’t a date, Seungmin knew that, but it sure as hell felt like one. Maybe even the second if the infinity room counted for anything. The boys strolled around the park eating their ice cream and laughing half to death. When they finally finished their treat they made their way for the small pond that housed ducks.

Feeding ducks wasn’t Seungmin’s favorite pastime, but with Hyunjin it felt exhilarating. The boys sat on the edge of the pond, tossing rice on the bank for the ducks to very happily munch on. At one point, Hyunjin was able to convince a mama duck to eat some rice out of his hand and the way he smiled had Seungmin’s stomach in knots.

He hated the feeling of knots in his stomach, but Hyunjin made them feel just right. Like he was meant to be here. Like he was meant to fall in love with him.

God, he was falling in love with him.

The way his hair framed his perfectly sculpted face, still something Seungmin could never get used to. The way his lips were plump and pink and oh-so-kissable, but something he couldn’t have. Hyunjin was a guilty pleasure, he knew better than to touch, but that’s all he wanted. All he needed. He needed Hyunjin. He needed to tell him he loved him, but how was he supposed to do that when his world could fall apart seconds after he did.

It had been over two years since his last girlfriend, and he’s never dated a boy. Seungmin didn’t want a repeat of anything close to what high school was like for him.

He couldn’t tell him. Not now. Maybe later. Maybe when Hyunjin showed more signs.

But there were signs enough. That was all Seungmin could think about for the rest of the day after their date as he edited the pictures to post on Instagram. Taking pictures of Seungmin at the infinity room, the way he held his waist and protected him, the way he always grasped for his arm to pull him somewhere, the way he nearly suffocated Seungmin in a hug when he won first. The way he held his hand when he was nervous.

What Seungmin would give to hold his hand like that for the rest of his life.

_“Minnie?”_

_“Hyunie? What are you doing here I thought you were-”_

_“We thought it would be nice to stop by and visit. It’s always good for the best friend to approve.”_

_“Approve of what-” Seungmin felt the pain before she even came into view. The most stunningly beautiful girl he had ever seen. She had plump pink lips that looked like they tasted of bubblegum. Her eyes were wide, double-eyelids but obviously Korean. Her hair was long, curled to perfection, black standing out against her pastel but chic dress, likely made out of chiffon._

_“It’s nice to meet you, Seungmin.” She bowed lightly, offering a bright smile that showed an even more perfect smile. If Seungmin was straight he would’ve fallen for her right then, but all he could really feel was pain. “I’m Ara.”_

_“We’ve seen each other quite a bit since we’ve been talking online,” Hyunjin mused, Seungmin staring at the boy half in disbelief and half because he couldn’t feel his legs. “We decided to make our relationship official today so I had to ask for your approval.”_

_“I- I don’t know how to reply to this Hyunjin.” Seungmin blurted out, blinking intensely at the feeling of fainting, trying to keep that far from possibility. “Am I your mother? Do you need my permission to date girls?”_

_“No, I just thought since you would be seeing each other more often-”_

_“I don’t want to see either of you often, let alone at all!”_

_“Seungmin what’s going on? Why are you being like this?”_

_“I’m scared of losing you and I already have.”_

Seungmin sat up in a cold sweat. What was it with dreams giving him messages he didn’t want? It was time. Faster than Seungmin wanted, but he couldn’t prolong it any longer. He grasped his phone as quickly as he could, nearly falling off his bed in the process, just to dial Hyunjin’s number and hear the ringing in his ear.

God pick up.

“Hello?”

“Meet me at the tree outside the cafe. The big one that’s supposed to make the courtyard pretty or whatever.”

“Seungmin, what is this about-”

“Please. Please just meet me there. It’s important.”

“I’ll be there in five.”

Seungmin pulled himself off his bed, grabbing his phone and his keys off the table and shoving them into his pockets. He thanked the stars his pajama pants even had pockets, let alone ones he could fit things into. A blessing.

What was not a blessing was the feeling of concrete beneath his feet as he stepped onto the terrace. It was cold, biting at the skin, but god he didn’t have time to care or put on shoes, let alone socks.

_He had to see Hyunjin and tell him how he felt._

Seungmin half ran out of the building and toward the courtyard. His feet hurt from the rocks that he inevitably stepped on, partially limping after a few stabbed him in the more sensitive parts of his feet. It didn’t matter though, because losing Hyunjin would hurt more than that.

When the courtyard came into view, Seungmin watched as Hyunjin’s car pulled into the parking lot past the towering tree. It had finally bloomed completely, a beautiful vivid green that was smothered into darkness by the moonlight. Hyunjin got out of his car and stepped into the courtyard, wearing a nice outfit from the plans he had with the magazine editor, though why so late at night Seungmin couldn’t understand.

The feeling of grass beneath his feet felt cold and wet, but it was something he needed. Anything to crush the feeling of anxiety he had, the pounding of his heart in his ears.

“What is it that’s so important?” Hyunjin asked, a tinge of worry in his voice as he asked the question. He was always like this, so despite the worry Seungmin knew it didn’t matter. What was important was that he knew.

“Hyunjin, I love you,” Seungmin blurted out, hand over his chest that was beating and breathing all too heavily. “More than a friend. I had a dream that you were dating someone else and I woke up just feeling so heavy and like I couldn’t lose you, that’s why I had to tell you. God, I love you so much that I just want to call you mine and-”

“Woah, Seungmin. Wait.”

Seungmin stared at Hyunjin like a deer caught in headlights. He didn’t know what to expect. It's not like his speech was preplanned. It’s not like he could think straight in the first place, let alone about how Hyunjin would reply.

“You’re… gay?”

“Y-yeah, I thought you knew… I thought I made it obvious…”

“I had no idea. I thought we were just friends- God, Seungmin, I’m not gay. I don’t like men at all, I’m sorry.”

Seungmin could feel his heartbreak. It wasn’t like highschool though. It wasn’t that Hyunjin was calling him names or shaming him into nothing, it was the feeling of heartbreak. It was different. Hyunjin didn’t love him, he never did.

“God I can’t believe- you slept over at my house and everything!” Hyunjin took a step back, Seungmin wanting nothing more than to take one forward and grab his wrist. “Is that why you bought me these earrings? Did you think today was a date? That’s so- oh my god, that’s so disgusting.”

_Disgusting._

Seungmin couldn’t hold back the tears in his eyes but he sure as hell wasn’t about to let Hyunjin see that.

“I’m sorry, I’ll just go home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Seungmin’s head hung low, turning on his heels to feel the wetness of grass that mimicked the tears that streamed down his face. He should’ve known better. It was exactly like high school, and Hyunjin wasn’t any better than they were. He thought he would be accepted, but no. 

Seungmin walked as quickly as he could through tears and sobs to get back to his dorm, back to his bed, and back to comfort. But when he got there all he could do was sob and pray Jisung wouldn’t wake up. Hell, he knew he wouldn’t considering how heavy he slept, but he didn’t want to admit he was hurt.

_He didn’t want to admit it was over._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. I'm so sorry that this update took forever but there's been a lot going on for me. One, was that the contents of this chapter made me NOT want to write it for obvious reasons, but it's so important to the plot so I'm sorry for hurting everyone's heart.
> 
> But also, I was on a temporary Stray Kids break for things I won't go into. It had gotten so bad that I ended up switched biases and not listening to them for weeks. I'm finally motivating myself to get out of that slump but its been a struggle especially with moving up to college and restarting a schedule. On a different note, I have lots of things for the next two chapters planned, which means regular updates again. I'm not going to force myself to post every week, but if possible I will try!
> 
> Again thank you all for waiting, I know its been an eternity, but I hope regular updating again will make up for it  
> \- Chanberries


	21. Erosion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.
> 
> Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_   
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_   
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_

Seungmin didn’t want to get up, let alone be alive. Okay, it was a stretch, but feeling all of this was too much. He hadn’t felt this much since high school. Since before his friend group. Since before learning he was valid.

Seungmin pried himself out of bed. He almost never had Saturday morning shifts, but today was an exception. Hyunjin had already promised to stop by at his normal time since he was doing stuff for the magazine shoot still and needed to be up early as per usual.

Getting ready was an absolute drag, to say the least. He hoped his shower would drown his stress and sadness but it didn’t. Falling in love with his best friend was the dumbest thing he could’ve ever done, but it's not like he was asking for it. The dark cafe with the lights barely turned on made him think of that first day Hyunjin walked through the door.

He hated him then, and he wished he could hate him now, but it wasn’t possible. Even if he wanted to, something in him couldn’t. He could be upset Hyunjin didn’t like men. He couldn’t be upset Hyunjin called him that filthy word. He was just… too much.

The brews were stirring, Hyunjin’s almost done when he walked through the door, the familiar bells ringing. He was dolled up, wearing a nice shirt and long jacket similar to the one he wore when he won the prize, makeup done as always, but he was tired. Seungmin could tell.

“Good morning, Seungmin. The usual, please.”

“Yeah, 5.75,” Seungmin half muttered, letting Hyunjin swipe his card and handing over the receipt before going to make the usual brew. He didn’t bother with the swirl of a design, knowing that it would be covered with a lip anyways, so when he handed it over Hyunjin stared into the coffee, placing his lid on top.

“Something’s off. Are you okay?”

Seungmin blinked once or twice, unsure of how to reply. I mean, was he okay? Probably not. He couldn’t tell that to Hyunjin. Pretend you’re fine.

“Yeah, I’m just tired is all. Normally I get to sleep in on the weekends.”

“I get that. I’ll see you later, thanks for the coffee.”

When the bell of the front door rang and Hyunjin’s body left his view, Seungmin pressed his hands against the counter and started crying. This was so stupid. Seeing Hyunjin was all it would take?

The boy slumped to the floor and turned to lean against the cupboard, the tears overflowing. God, he could hardly see anything, let alone breathe. Maybe Jisung could help if he would answer. Please answer.

The blaring of his phone wasn’t exactly his alarm tone. Did he forget to turn it on vibrate when he went to bed? Ugh. Who was calling anyways?

RoomieTM.

“Hello?” Jisung asked, voice groggy and hardly working when he answered the phone.

Seungmin didn’t answer at first, to the point Jisung whined and asked hello again, “What did you call me at like 7 in the morning foooorrrr?”

“I’m sorry-” Seungmin half choked, enough for Jisung to wake up to realize something was wrong, “I just didn’t know what to do. I’m just crying at work and I’m shaking so bad--”

“Let me call Minho to wake up Changbin! Minho should be awake by now and you obviously need someone to cover your shift-- I’ll call you right back!”

Minho. Minho. Minhooooo, found it.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

“Ji, why are you up so early?” The chuckle Minho let out over the phone had Jisung’s heart jumping, smiling like a complete dork as he talked.

“Can you please wake up Changbin and tell him to book it to the cafe? Seungmin is crying and in need of someone to cover his shift. I would go myself but I hardly know how to make coffee in a coffee maker here.”

“Yeah, Changbin will hate it, but it’ll have to do. Go back to sleep, Ji, I’ll see you later.”

Minho’s voice was sweet but Jisung knew perfectly well that as soon as the phone hung up he would beat Changbin with his own pillow to wake him up.

When the store bell rang Seungmin tried his best to wipe the tears that kept coming. He tried his best to compose himself, knowing it was a customer and Jisung had never called him back so it couldn’t have been figured out yet.

He was wrong.

“Seungmin?”

Seungmin turned his head to see Changbin peering over the counter, looking around for the boy. When Changbin finally looked down to see Seungmin a cry mess on the floor, he practically jumped over the counter in panic.

“Woah, what the hell is going on?” Changbin asked, kneeling on the floor and leaning over to try to brush the river of tears streaming down Seungmin’s face.

“I’m sorry you had to come in early,” Seungmin choked, letting Changbin baby him. He had never seen Changbin like this, mainly because he only saw him at work and occasionally because of Jisung.

“I’ll take over your shift okay? Go home and sleep, Jisung’s probably still up so you can climb into bed with him or something. Heaven knows you need a hug right now.”

“But that only solves today’s problem. What happens when he comes in on Monday?”

Changbin sighed lightly, sitting on the floor next to Seungmin, wrapping an arm around him that the boy gratefully leaned into. “We can switch shifts. I’ll take the opening and you can come in at 7:30. You’ll get fewer hours and I’ll gain some, but if it's for the best?”

“I feel bad,” Seungmin half giggled, “You hate getting up in the mornings, but you’re probably right. I can’t face him.”

“What happened, Seungmin?” Changbin asked after a moment of silence. What Seungmin didn’t know was that when Changbin came in he locked the doors so they could talk and calm Seungmin down before reopening. He needed time. Seungmin wasn’t one to break down during a shift, let alone call for help, so he knew something was wrong when Minho woke him up.

“I just- I finally told Hyunjin I liked him and he rejected me.”

“I know you Seungmin, more than you realize. Something else happened, what was it.”

“He- called me disgusting.”

Seungmin could feel Changbin stiffen, pulling his head from his shoulder to see Changbin’s spare hand grasping onto his own knee.

“I’ll kick his teeth in, Seungmin. I’ll take over your shifts and make sure he doesn’t know when you work. He’ll pay for what he said, but for now, go home and rest.”

Seungmin did just that. He dragged his feet back to the dorm and when he got there Jisung was crawling back into bed from a bathroom break. He gladly welcomed Seungmin into bed with him, letting him calm down in his arms and letting him know they could always talk about it later. They fell asleep like that, intertwined and comfortable. Jisung was a lifesaver.

═════════════

Hyunjin pulled open the door of the cafe, the familiar bell ringing. Monday mornings were always rough that coffee and Seungmin always made up for.

“Good morning, Seungmin. My usual please,” he half sang. He might be half tired but seeing Seungmin was enough to get him going.

Hyunjin blinked a few times at the figure staring back at him. Changbin. He was wearing a green hoodie, dark bags under his eyes from coming in so early in the morning. It was no secret, even if Hyunjin, how much Changbin needed his beauty rest so to have him here had Hyunjin tilting his head.

“Changbin, why are you working? Is Seungmin sick?”

“Unfortunately I cannot give you those details,” Changbin replied with an annoyed smile on his face, “Against policy to give you personal information about employees.”

“Uhh, alright. Can I get a large-”

“Unnnnnnfortunately,” Changbin started with the biggest smile on his face, leaning against the counter to pull a small plastic sign from below and placing it on the counter, “I have the right to refuse service to any customers without probable cause.”

“So I can’t buy a coffee?”

“Correction. You can’t buy anything,” Changbin half sang. He had won this argument, and Hyunjin wasn’t about to make it worse. Hyunjin left, coffee-less, but that wasn’t why he was upset.

Seungmin hadn’t texted him in a few days and now he wasn’t at work. He thought maybe he should visit him but it had only been a day. He probably just wasn’t feeling well. It most definitely wasn’t his fault. Right?

God, was it his fault?

The next morning Changbin was there again, though the door to the cafe wasn’t even unlocked for Hyunjin to enter. He knocked on the door with a tilted head, half in annoyance, half in confusion. Seungming had been gone for two days and he still hadn’t answered the one text he did send asking if he was okay.

Changbin didn’t let him in for the next three days. It was becoming increasingly obvious that Seungmin was no longer working mornings or answering him. He wanted so desperately to talk about it but with school, Hyunjin didn’t have the time to stop by or meet up with any of the boys to ask.

The one day Changbin forgot to lock the door, he cursed under his breath. After about a week of getting up at ungodly hours of the morning, his tired eyes finally adjusted to not being so tired. Plus, he got so exhausted by the end of the night he was probably getting an extra two hours of sleep at night, which Minho convinced would do him some good.

“God, spare me the speech and just get out.”

“Changbin, please. I don’t know what this is about, Seungmin isn’t answering my texts, you hate me, and I just want a damn coffee.”

“Making you a coffee would be disgusting.”

Changbin made sure to place emphasis on that word. Hyunjin’s cogs were still turning, but a hint was a hint, and he might’ve been stupid but he wasn’t dense. He blinked a few times, letting out a sigh just as the bell rang through the cafe.

“Is this about-”

“Hey Binnie, we’re in some need of coffee for the child,” Minho half laughed, hands tucked into his black skinny jeans and Jisung tucked at his side. “Honestly, I’m surprised he even was up on time for me to pick him up.”

Changbin laughed with them, the pair practically shoving Hyunjin to the side and ignoring his existence as they ordered. Jisung warned Minho about what coffee did to him and yet they ordered two mocha lattes anyways, extra cream for Jisung.

"So they can order coffee, but I can’t?" Hyunjin asked, leaning against the counter to face Changbin who was handing over the receipt.

"No, sorry we don't serve hets."

Minho and Jisung bust out laughing. At this point Jisung had been debriefed by Seungmin what had happened and that spread like wildfire. Now everyone that knew the two boys knew about what happened. People had already stopped by to offer cookies and ramen which Seungmin gladly took, though it felt weird. Jisung just explained that people didn’t want to see him sad so they tried cheering him up, which worked well enough.

"Minho's a het!"

The look of surprise on Minho's face was filled with complete confusion. It took him a moment to process, Changbin eyeing the two boys to see what would happen. Minho laughed and wrapped his arm around Jisung's waist, pulling him into his chest and kissing his cheek.

"Surprisingly, not a het. Jisung and I are kind of a thing~"

Hyunjin rolled his eyes as Jisung stuttered through his sentences, partially pushing Minho away as he continued to kiss his cheek through giggles.

"It's not official yet, you weren’t supposed to tell anybody!"

"I already told Changbin because I couldn’t control myself, but that’s not the point. The point is," Minho let go of Jisungs waist, moving to hold his hand instead, "We have a coffee date and someone has yet to make our coffee."

"On it!" Changbin quickly beamed before moving to make the brews.

"You should probably leave, Hyunjin. Our barista is a little preoccupied." The smile on Minho’s face was far too sweet for the tone of voice, Hyunjin heaving a sigh of disappointment.

He turned to leave, reaching the door and pulling it open just to turn just far enough to say one last thing. "Tell Seungmin to text me, please? I’m worried about him."

Minho pulled Jisung to the side so he wouldn’t reply, motioning for Hyunjin to leave. He did, of course, with a simple nod of understanding. Changbin soon after handed over their coffees, which the boys gratefully accepted to leave the cafe and wander back to Minho's dorm. Jisung offered his but Minho insisted that because his roommate was working and Seungmin would just be waking up, his would be better.

The keys allowed the door to open with ease, Minho placing his coffee on the table to set up the movie after the pair took off their shoes. Bambi. Jisung had requested it because he liked the animations and also because it wasn’t much past seven in the morning. Jisung was truthfully still half asleep.

Minho left all the lights off, the movie starting as he climbed onto the couch with Jisung. He grabbed his coffee, let Jisung cover their legs with a blanket, and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Jisung scoot closer, careful not to spill any coffee as it was still warm, just to comfortably slide his head onto Minho’s shoulder, the perfect and most comfortable crook. Minho kissed Jisung’s forehead lightly, leaving a soft tingly feeling when they parted.

"You’re cute, Ji." 

"Not as cute as you," Jisung giggled, nuzzling in to leave a soft kiss on Minho's neck. 

It had been a while of this. Cuddling, kissing, the couple kinds of things. They had talked about being more and finally putting a title on their relationship, but Jisung was still unsure. If he went home for the summer, and came out before then, he was worried what his parents would think. He didn’t know when he wanted to tell them, and Minho couldn’t deny him. Jisung struggled since their first kiss coming to terms with a lot of things, but now he was fine with basically everything. He let Minho hold his hand almost everywhere in public, let him hold his waist when he could, let him place small kisses in the open. He let him kiss him, edulge in the taste of whatever flavor chapstick Jisung had put on just to make sure his lips weren’t dry when they connected with Minho's.

Minho gently tugged on Jisungs chin to bring their lips together for a soft kiss. Pulling back to whisper a small "I love you".

_Love._

They hadn't said that yet, but who was Jisung to deny his feelings?

"I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this was enough to ease the soul a bit after the last chapter. Your guys patience with me is impeccable ahaha
> 
> I love you guys though <3


	22. Quicksand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungmin works at Cafe Yeoji, an American Style coffee shop that has more business than usual while the cafe on the campus of Hyunkook University is being relocated. His roommate insists he start dating, regardless of Seungmin wishes to remain single for several different reasons. Dating is hard and juggling school, work, and a love life was impossible for Seungmin.
> 
> Yet here Seungmin is, falling in love for this person he didn't want to be in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If you want to find a place for updates about the fic,[Click Here!](https://www.instagram.com/chanberry__/)_   
>  _For a Spotify playlist created for this fic,[Listen Here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2R105Jw0qHpgKLgogdqwPx?si=LvwFKXYWRr6oFNyz6oqtjg)_   
>  _My beautiful editors are[Queen_Whovian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Whovian) and [Hyun_Jinxed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun_jinxed) please give them lots of love! I wouldn't be able to do this without them!_

Two weeks of totally ignoring calls and messages from Hyunjin and Changbin taking over his morning shifts. It was tiring avoiding someone like this, but his heart hurt. Hyunjin had broken a piece of him that he didn’t know was possible. He trusted him, to at least be kind, and yet he was so disappointed.

It was stupid to miss him, but completely cutting ties wasn’t exactly something Seungmin intended on doing. Hyunjin was his best friend, but it's hard to be around someone that wouldn’t accept him, even if it was someone he loved. He needed to get over his feelings for Hyunjin, but he knew Hyunjin cared about him because he kept reaching out. He just didn’t know how to tell him that without risking all those feelings bubbling up more.

Ring. Ring.

_Changbin._

“Hey, what’s up, I’m leaving the dorm to come to the cafe right now.”

“Yeah, about that,” Changbin started over the phone, his voice obviously full of frustration and tiredness. He probably didn’t sleep well. “Hyunjin is here. I thought he would leave after I didn’t serve him but he sat down and refuses to leave. I even told him I’d call the police to have him forcibly removed but he just said I should and I didn’t think you would want me to.”

“He’s so stupid. I’m coming down anyway, I’m not going to keep avoiding him forever. If he so stubbornly wants to see me then he can and leave after. I’ll be there in ten, thank you, Changbin.”

The walk there was awful despite how beautiful the weather was. All Seungmin could think about was Hyunjin. Not him because he loved him, even if that was true. Just what he would say. How did he even begin to approach this situation of telling Hyunjin that he just needed space? Needed to unlove him until they could be friends again? 

The cafe was just as busy as it was any other day, Seungmin entering and immediately being met with Hyunjin’s eyes. He looked for a moment and raised a finger to indicate he would meet with him in just a moment. He quickly put his things behind the counter, taking a deep breath and meeting eyes with Changbin.

Changbin gave him a small smile and a nod before taking an order. Seungmin knew he would be looking over at them if necessary. He slowly approached the table, Hyunjin’s eyes following him. When they finally met, there were so many emotions in them Seungmin couldn’t quite figure out what was most prominent. Pain, happiness, content. Maybe all of them.

“Why are you here?”

“To see you, I thought that was obvious.”

“That’s not what I meant. Changbin asked you to leave and you’re still here.”

“Listen, I get it. I messed up. You won’t answer my calls or my texts, Seungmin. I just want to fix what I did. What I said, it wasn’t what I meant. Not at all and I--”

“When will you understand that it doesn’t matter anymore? I need time and I don’t want to see you right now so please, for the love of God, stop trying.”

Seungmin watched Hyunjin gulp and then sigh. Seungmin turned to go back to his shift, feeling the eyes on the back of his figure as he passed the counter to get to work. Changbin needed to leave soon and Seungmin needed to prepare to take over the rush.

“So that’s it?” Hyunjin called after the boy, far louder than he would have wanted. Seungmin did not need a ruckus in his shop let alone from Hyunjin after all the other times.

“Can you be quiet, goddamn it?” Seungmin harshly whispered as Hyunjin leaned over the pickup counter. He had his things slewed across it in an attempt to carry them all with him from the table.

“Answer my question, Seungmin. Please.”

“Didn’t know you had stooped so low to beg. It's not it, I just need time. Give me that, alright? I have to do my shift, please leave.”

Hyunjin pursed his lips together, simply grabbing his things to leave. Seungmin felt that weight lift off his shoulders as he joined Changbin for his shift. It was a relief to finally have Hyunjin out of his hair but there was also something missing. Something had just changed between them and as much as that pressure was lifted from him, the clouds no longer looming, he still felt like his feet were buried in quicksand.

Time was running out, that much was clear, and he was unsure if that timer was on himself or Hyunjin. There was no guarantee of fixing this, but if he wanted to keep Hyunjin in his life, it needed to be sorted quickly. An assorted paper bag of goods sprawled on the sand, you have to pick a piece to cherish and leave the others behind, and on the beach he would bury his feelings for Hyunjin.

He needed to go home. Think about everything and just feel like it wasn’t happening. Perhaps for the weekend, he had off this weekend since someone else asked for more hours. He needed home, his mom to talk to. She gave good advice and hugs, Jeongin did too. He missed him a lot, the beach and being able to just enjoy the company without the stress.

He would go home, and he did. Jisung watched him back in the dorm pack his things that Friday night with his feet dragging against the floor. He knew why, he didn’t have to ask, so he didn’t. Partially to save face so Seungmin wouldn’t have to speak how much pain he was in. Jisung watched as Seungmin picked every item in their dorm that was so entirely Seungmin, that by the time he was packed it felt empty. His camera was with him, as always, as well as his pictures of friends back home. He didn’t know why Seungmin pulled them down from his wall to take home, but he didn’t question it. Not when Seungmin was like this.

Seungmin had called Areum for a ride, not wishing to ride the train all the way home. The intention was to explain everything to her, but when he couldn’t bring himself to do it he leaned his head against the window of her car and watched the city turn to suburb and then into forest lines while he felt the tears pool in his eyes. He ignored it as much as he could, closing his eyes and willing them away until he forced himself to sleep.

If Areum noticed something was wrong, which surely she did given every circumstance Seungmin had given her, she never said anything. Just quietly dropped him off at home with a big hug that lasted just long enough Seungmin could feel the tears well before she left him at the home that would rid him of his sorrows.

He pulled his things into the house, leaving them by the door, and he was met with the smell of food. His mother knew he was coming home of course, and although it was far past dinner time, it was still warm on the stove. 

“Ah, you made it safely!” His mother called from the top of the stairwell, feet pattering down the stairs. She was already in pajamas, likely coming from bed but it was obvious she wasn’t asleep yet. “How was the trip?”

“I slept through most of it, if I’m being honest,” Seungmin half sighed, pulling a bowl from the cupboard to serve himself some of the soup that was made. It was still hot, the burner being left on that he promptly turned off before grabbing some silverware to eat.

They sat on the couch together in the living room, out of character for them, but sadness always overtook manners. Seungmin needed the comfort of a blanket around his legs as he sat criss-cross on the couch with his mom sat next to him in a similar position with a book open.

It was silent for a while as Seungmin ate. Too quiet really, it let his mind wander and swim in thoughts about a boy he didn’t want to be thinking about. There wasn’t anything to do other than eat, he couldn’t talk at the same time and even if he did, he didn’t want to cry. No need for soup with tears in it.

When he finished, he placed the empty bowl on the floor next to the couch, still out of character for him, but he didn’t want to leave the comfort. His mom closed her book and set it aside to turn to face the boy she loved so dearly.

“So tell me what’s going on.”

“It's… dumb. It's about a dumb boy. I just wasn’t expecting this I guess.”

“Hyunjin dumb boy, okay got it.” Seungmin leaned his head back against the couch with a small disappointed chuckle. He hadn’t really talked about Hyunjin before, he didn’t even know his mother knew his name, but word gets around he was sure. Jeongin had probably given her updates as soon as she learned he existed, she was a bit nosey like that but Seungmin didn’t mind. It made this conversation easier.

“He’s not dumb, that’s the problem. He’s actually really wonderful, I just wasn’t expecting a heartbreak like this, I suppose. I mean, you would think my first heartbreak would be when my first real relationship crumbled, but all I did was get rejected and now I’m moping like an idiot.”

“You’re not an idiot, Seungmin. You know that. Tell me about what happened.”

“I just-- There was this event we went to, Hyunjin had an art exhibit where he made a little room for his interior design stuff. It was beautiful, absolutely stunning, but seeing it was when I realized I was falling for him. The back wall was this starry design because we had gone to the infinity room together for a photo shoot and when he won, he hugged me and just everything felt right, you know?”

She hummed, watching Seungmin play with his own fingers as his eyes began to well. All of this was so much, things he didn’t want to think about again. He didn’t want to think about the gentle but strong feeling of Hyunjin’s hand wrapped around his waist or what it would be like if their lips just connected. Just once, to see what it would be like.

“I bought him these earrings for his birthday that reminded me of that too and I guess I thought maybe he felt the same way about me, but he didn’t. He didn’t at all. When I told him, he went on about how we were just friends and he didn’t even know I liked boys, and then he said something that just reminded me of high school and how they treated me. It wasn’t like that at all, it wasn’t bad really, and even this week he said it was a slip of the tongue, but it still hurts. I want to forget about him, pretend he doesn’t exist, never see him again just so I can pretend I’m fine with this.”

“Heartbreak is hard, I know that as does your father. It’s something that you just need time with. Nothing is permanent, not even us, and love is rocky regardless. I know you, I’m sure you’ll work it out to stay friends because I know you care about him regardless. You just need to take it slow, give it some time, and maybe put some space between you while you move on from him.”

“I already did that,” Seungmin yawned lightly, his mom patting his arm and leaning over to grab his empty soup bowl, “so I guess I’m a step in the right direction.”

“Go get some rest honey, Jeongin will be over for breakfast tomorrow morning.”

Seungmin nodded and carried himself to his bedroom, leaving all his things behind by the front door and opting to wear something in his dresser rather than bothering to unpack now. He slipped off into sleep as easily as was possible when his mind was clouded with thoughts.

The morning came too soon. He could sleep more if he wanted to, and his sadness said yes, but he wanted to see Jeongin and the light flooding his window was forcing his mind awake. He didn’t bother changing out of his pajamas, he knew Jeongin would be in similar wear regardless when he arrived.

The steps down the stairs made a knee crack and he groaned as he finally made his way to the kitchen. His dad was up and about in the kitchen making breakfast while his mom set the table. Pancakes, probably, based on the smell. Nice.

Seungmin went to sit down at the table and lean his head against it in hopes he could sleep five more minutes but the doorbell rang and he already knew who it was.

“I got it,” Seungmin groaned, eyes half-closed and hardly able to comprehend anything. He opened the door and Jeongin, as wide-eyed as he was, didn’t look much better. It was the hair.

“How do you look worse than me,” Jeongin teased, a laugh sounding the entryway as Seungmin turned to leave the door open for Jeongin to deal with. They had been friends for so long he practically had free reign of the house.

He took his shoes off and closed the door behind him, the two boys sitting at the table with water glasses that were placed for everyone to drink if they wished. Seungmin still leaned his head against the table, turning to face Jeongin, who scoot his chair back to do the same.

“Good morning.”

“Yeah, good morning. I missed you,” Seungmin sighed softly, a smile creeping upon his lips as they just took in the morning and smell of food being cooked.

“It's not my fault you don’t text or call very often.”

“You don’t either so I feel like we’re even,” Seungmin retorted, raising a tired hand to smack his arm. Jeongin easily smacked him back in return before raising his head at the sound of footsteps approaching. 

Breakfast was amazing, it always was to have someone else cook than to do it yourself. Not to mention having Jeongin there kept him preoccupied and far too distracted and giddy to do anything else. 

Jeongin helped him drag his things up to his room, shoving them in the corner because actually unpacking them just for the weekend was a bit unnecessary. The two boys just sat on his bed for a while after that talking about what they wanted to do today. The beach was an obvious yes, but also video games would be fun too if they played together. So that was their plan.

“Alright, tell me what’s going on with Hyunjin.”

“He’s an idiot and I don’t regret punching him in the face,” Seungmin sighed as Jeongin thought of how to tiptoe his way through the conversation.

“Last I heard you bought him those earrings. Don’t tell me he didn’t like them.”

“He did like them actually, a lot. He always wears them now instead of any other jewelry so that’s not it. I mean surely you know I like him, I still don’t know how you managed to guess that months ago, but I had this dream. It was silly really because I ended up confessing over my own dream that made me jealous over a girl that doesn’t exist, but when I did I wasn’t exactly expecting the response that I got.

“I mean, I was expecting that even if he didn’t like me we would still be friends. I guess we still are, don’t jump to conclusions, he didn’t say we couldn’t be, he wants to be, but that wasn’t what happened. He didn’t even know I was gay, which yeah I didn’t exactly tell him, but I thought I was being obvious! I mean I bought him earrings for his birthday based on the closest thing to a date we had! But no, he said it was disgusting and I ran off crying like a baby!”

“He called you what?!”

The sentence was loud out of Jeongin’s mouth, enough for Seungmin to shush him and smack his arm before his mom came bounding in with a thousand questions. He didn’t want to tell her what Hyunjin had said because he didn’t believe it himself.

“I don’t think he meant I was, just how close we were I guess? I don’t know, he’s been coming in looking for me when I’m not at the cafe because I stopped answering him and when I finally confronted him he said it wasn’t what he meant. A slip of the tongue I guess, but I need to get over it. Get over him. There’s no reason I should be all sad and mopey and make my life terrible over a boy that shouldn’t matter.”

“We should do what we did in middle school when we hated the world and wrote letters to burn and bury on the beach. I feel like it would be nice to have something to come back to later and destroy to, like, get the feelings out or whatever.”

Seungmin nodded with a smile. It was a stupid little thing they did, but it did help him when he was stressed or angry about something. He would take anything at this point.

The boys sat in their pajamas for most of the day in the living room, playing a variety of video games and creating what his mom always called a “ruckus”. Seungmin would admit the little gaming sessions were pretty close to that, with snacks sat in front of them to cycle through as quickly as they did the games they played.

They did eventually shower and get dressed, going to run a few errands in the town for the household, specifically groceries and picking up a borrowed item from a family friend. When they came back the sun was setting once again and they collected their materials for their letters in the sand.

They stomped through the brush toward the beach, Seungmin’s camera around his neck in hopes of taking pictures of either the sunset or of their paper burning session. The beach was empty, a bit unusual for the day of the week but probably for the best.

They sat down a good distance from the waves that flowed, some more forceful than others, and pull out their pens and notepads to write letters after letters to nothing but the sheer will of flames and the world

_Hwang Hyunjin. I hate you. I hate you so much, so fucking much! You’re such an ass and I’m tired of thinking about you when you suck! Why should I think about you when you’re stupid face is ungrateful and mean! You never cared about me, did you? Well good because I never cared about you either. You were never good to me or my friends, you’re selfish and drag me into things I don’t want to be apart of and you only care about yourself! Only your accomplishments, never mine. You’re a terrible, god awful friend and person and I hope I never see you again. Stop talking to me, stop trying, because you’re not worth it to me. I mean what would I gain from being your friend? Nothing! I have other ones, you aren’t special! Suck it Hyunjin!!!_

_Not to wish that you would hurt too but I do. I mean why should I be the only one moping around when its your fault that this happened in the first place. You’re so gross and disgusting and useless. You’re popular but you don’t even know how to talk to people. All the talent that went to you is wasted because you have the personality of an egg!_

_I hope whoever you end up with is equally as stupid and awful as you! I mean really, you deserve something who sucks as much as you do. I’m sure you’ll find one right? Because those kinds of people stick together and find each other. Hope your little girlfriend breaks your fucking heart like you broke mine !_

“Done?” Jeongin asked, holding his little letters too and pulling the lighter out of his pocket. Seungmin nodded and they partially crumpled their papers and tossed them into a pile onto the coarse sand.

Seungmin took a break in when Jeongin lit them on fire, pulling his camera out to turn it on. He put it on auto, not trying to bother with the settings when these photos were for him, some kind of trophy or something to take with him of the memory of these feelings. It defeated the purpose if you were meant to forget them, but he felt better anyways, and sometimes fire like this was beautiful.

When the papers sputtered to an end, Jeongin dug a hole in the sand next to the ashes and tipped them over with his hand into it before burying them into the sand of the beach. They had done this so many times that Seungmin sometimes wondered how many spots on the beach had little ashes of feelings of anger and sadness from when they were younger.

The took in the beauty of the beach for a long while, sitting in the sand and watching as the sunset fell. Seungmin took a few pictures of Jeongin that he liked and would probably edit later, but it was far from a photoshoot. Maybe something to post on social media.

“Feel better?” Jeongin asked after a while, already writing on his paper for their second phase of emotion vomit. Seungmin hummed lightly as a yes. The anger had settled after writing it all down, Seungmin just loved the beach. It was calm. He never had to worry about his assignments or feelings if he could just watch the waves roll in and out.

Seungmin began writing too. They did this after the anger, frustration, or sadness had passed even if the hurt was still there. A letter to your future self to come back to whenever you next remember or wish to return.

Truthfully, Seungmin didn’t know what he wanted to say to himself in the future. I mean, what was there to say? Things were fuzzy for his future right now and he didn’t have any long term plans, so this letter didn’t come as easily as some others. He wrote anyways, because he always had to find something.

Before he knew it he had written more than expected, Jeongin admiring the waves while he waited for Seungmin to finish. When he was done they folded the two letters and placed them into a mason jar, wandering down towards the water line in search of some shells and rocks to place in the jar with them. There wasn’t much, two shells, a broken sand dollar, and a shiny rock that Seungmin liked. 

They buried it by a large rock they often sat on, leaving everything covered in sand for only them to find later. There, he left his feelings for Hyunjin in ashes on the beach and his feelings for himself in wishes and dreams. He would return eventually, but only the universe knew when.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! It's been two months, over two months? I'm not sure but I am sorry for falling off of the Earth a little bit again. I've been learning a lot about myself as a writer and how I need to take things at a different pace, plug finals and everything, those are my excuses for not posting or updating on the situation. As much as posting once a week was great for me before, I don't feel like it's ideal for the next semester of university, so I won't be going on a schedule anymore. I don't know exactly how often I'll be posting, definitely not as big of disappearances but also not as frequently as I was before. I am determined to finish this and I will be, there are just other projects nad things I'm working on outside of this and in my personal life, so I hope you all can understand. 
> 
> Thank you all so much for supporting and being patient with me because I really do love this story to death and love seeing all of you here with your comments and kudos. You all mean the world to me, and without you or this story I would not be in the place I am today, with the growth I've made so truly I am grateful from the bottom of my heart <3


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